


tumblr drabbles

by elliewritesthings



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Chocolate Syrup, Christmas Fluff, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drabble Collection, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Halloween Costumes, Light Angst, M/M, Overstimulation, Praise Kink, Public Display of Affection, Reincarnation, Sex Toys, Teasing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, floaty hearts au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2018-04-24 19:06:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 60
Words: 88,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4931653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elliewritesthings/pseuds/elliewritesthings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>pls take a look at this amazing au that this is from: http://cinthmp.tumblr.com/tagged/floaty+hearts+au</p>
        </blockquote>





	1. anon smut

“I missed this,” Eren sighs as he brings their joined hands upwards, placing a light kiss against the back of Levi’s hand, feeling those fingers curl tighter around his. “Missed you. Feels like it’s been years.”  
  
Levi chuckles against the back of his neck. “I was only gone for two weeks.”  
  
“It felt like forever,” Eren mumbles into the pillow, soaking up the warmth seeping from Levi’s body. They’re cuddled up under dozens of blankets, arms and legs intertwined and Eren’s back pressed securely against Levi’s chest. It’s so nice and warm under here, at last it’s warm – for the past two weeks Eren’s been going to sleep in a cold and empty bed, and no amount of blankets could ever replace having his husband draped over him, his breath steady and calm against Eren’s neck.   
  
“I know. I missed this too,” Levi says in a quiet voice. He rubs his other hand along Eren’s side, making him squirm in ticklish delight. “Missed feeling you in my arms. I’m probably not going to let you go all night, just a fair warning.”  
  
“I’m good with that,” Eren gasps, simultaneously trying to get closer and jerk away from Levi’s fingers lightly skittering over his stomach, a fit of laughter escaping him. “Levi, stop, that tickles.”  
  
“Nope,” comes the smug response, and before Eren knows it, there’s a lively pair of hands brushing across his sides and his stomach, sending him into frantic giggles. He tries to faintly swat them away, but soon Levi has him pinned down, grasping on to his hips as he smiles radiantly from where he’s perched closer to Eren’s feet.  
  
His eyes flicker lazily over Eren’s form, taking in every inch of his body. “God, it’s been such a long time since I’ve gotten to look at you properly.” He presses a kiss at Eren’s navel, hiking up his t-shirt just a bit. “Gorgeous as ever.”  
  
The words cause a pleasant whirring and a light flush to spread over Eren, but at the same time he’s also very aware of Levi trying to expose more and more of his torso, and as he glances downwards at Levi’s firm abs, he can’t help but to be reminded of how unflattering he himself looks in comparison.   
  
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” he says with a laugh that’s just a bit too high to sound genuine. “Come up here, I wanna kiss you some more.” Yeah, kisses are good and safe because they are done with the mouth instead of other body parts that, in Eren’s case, may not be all that firm and muscled.   
  
“Eren, relax,” Levi tells him in that particularly smooth tone of his. “You’re okay, it’s fine. I just want to admire you for a little bit.”  
  
“There’s not that much to admire,” Eren scoffs, and before he’s even finished his sentence, he can hear Levi give an admonishing click of his tongue. It’s true, though – instead of toned muscles, he has loose skin and flab clinging on to his abdomen and thighs, almost like baby fat, even though he’s well past his teenage years. It doesn’t bother him all that much, but when he’s laying in bed with his smoking hot boyfriend in nothing but a t-shirt and boxers, it’s hard not to compare the two of them.   
  
“Eren, baby.” The reverence in Levi’s voice and the pained look he’s giving him make Eren squirm even harder. “There’s not a single thing I’d change. All of you is so perfect.”  
  
“Oh.” It comes out as a breathy gasp, and while there are dozens of rebuttals dancing on the tip of Eren’s tongue, he swallows them all down.   
  
Levi’s eyes are full of gentleness as he trails kisses along Eren’s stomach, hands venturing lower to rub over his thighs. “You’re so soft and lovely, please don’t say such mean things about your beautiful body,” he murmurs, sounding a little sad. “I love you so much, Eren, I love  _all_  of you. You fit so well into my hands.” He punctuates his words with a light squeeze at Eren’s ass.   
  
With a little yelp, Eren calls out, “Well, I don’t know about that.” It’s all he can say, really, because by now all logic and reason has left him.  
  
“But I do,” Levi states with a determined edge in his voice. “You’re my precious Eren, my kind and gentle sweetheart. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”  
  
With Levi crouched over him, there’s no way for Eren to hide the obvious bulge forming at the from of his boxers. He tries, anyway, shifting around in search of a position that won’t give it away, but Levi’s faster than him.  
  
As he mouths over the outline of Eren’s cock, he whispers, “You want me to make you feel good, baby? Just say the word.” His tongue darts out and skims along the fabric of Eren’s boxers. “I’d give you anything, darling, anything you wanted. Because you deserve the whole world and more, such a lovely soul as yourself.”  
  
“If it’s not too much trouble,” Eren manages to wheeze, the sweet encouragements making something inside of him burn with longing. This, too, he’s missed.   
  
“Oh, Eren, Eren. You’re too modest,” Levi chides him gently, pulling his boxers lower along his hips and releasing his cock. His hand begins working over his shaft in slow strokes, pausing every now and then to rub over the head. “We’re gonna have to make up for all that time I was gone. I missed you so, so much, my sweet Eren, now that I finally have you in my arms again I’m never going to stop worshipping you.”  
  
“Levi, yes,” he breathes out, eyes falling closed as his hands grip on to the sheets. It really has been a long while since they’ve done this – Levi’s barely touched him and Eren already feels so far gone. “Can you… Please.”  
  
Though he’s not making any sense, Levi seems to understand just what he needs since he shushed Eren gently, his other hand still caressing light circles over his stomach. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.” His voice is only a whisper, hoarse and so full of adoration. “What a good boy you are, Eren, letting me please you and admire you. Just relax, darling, I’m going to take such good care of you.”  
  
All that’s leaving his mouth are broken moans and lewd panting, his hips jerking forward at each languid stroke at his cock. His lips are searching for words, but it’s all in vain – Levi’s gotten him so close to the edge with nothing but his hand and sweet praises, and God, Eren wants more, he wants to drown in the low, melodious sound of Levi’s voice muttering kind encouragements to him.   
  
“I’m so close,” he at last manages to rasp out in warning, his release building up deep inside of him. At that, Levi loosens his hold on his cock a bit, pausing to press a kiss at the tip.   
  
“I can tell, you’re so pretty like this, squirming and moaning and about to come. All for me,” Levi purrs, sounding as pleased as can be. “You can finish at any time, you’ve been so, so good for me, Eren. This is just the beginning, I’m going to give you so much pleasure tonight, what a lovely, wrecked sight you’re gonna be at the end of it.”  
  
When he comes, it’s with a strangled shout, Levi’s name on his lips and loving praises echoing in his ears, and fuck, he’s really missed this.


	2. sleep

It’s just past midnight, and as usual, Levi cannot sleep.

Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be an issue – he’s been getting by with a couple of hours of sleep a night all his life, it’s no big deal, really. What he’d normally do is get up, maybe work out a little or read a book, but now, there are toned, tan arms wrapped around him and keeping him right where he is.   
  
Eren’s been snoring away for at least an hour now, nestled in the crook of Levi’s neck without a care in the world. He looks so much younger when he’s asleep, his features somehow much softer and unguarded. It’s nice, except for his vice-like grip on Levi. Any attempts of worming his way out of Eren’s arms are met with vague grumbling noises and Eren simply adjusting his hold to draw Levi even closer to him.   
  
Out of all things, Levi wouldn’t have expected sleeping, actually  _sleeping_  together to be an issue. He’d been a bit apprehensive about the fucking, but as it had turned out, the part with the dicks was the easiest part. What often followed afterwards was the real challenge.   
  
Eren liked cuddles a whole lot. Not necessarily Levi’s cup of tea, but to be honest, he’d discovered that as long as it was with Eren, he could tolerate it. Maybe, on a really good day, and also if Eren happened to stroke through his hair a little, he could even say he liked it. Feeling someone touch over him with the sheer amount of care and gentleness that Eren did was so foreign to him, but he was getting more and more used to it.  
  
However, with Eren sleeping soundly, Levi was left with little else to do than to stare at his messy hair and his right ear, which were all he could see from his current position. It’s a really nice ear, tho, but after having stared at it for more than an hour, Levi’s sure he already knows it through and through.  
  
The ear moves out of his line of sight as Eren shifts around a little and Levi sees his chance to escape.  
  
Wriggling backwards, he attempts to gently lift one of Eren’s arms off of him. It yields no results, so instead Levi tries shuffling downwards. As long as he somehow crawls out from Eren’s reach he’ll be good, just have to…  
  
“Levi.” There it is, a sleepy groan that signals he’s been caught. “What are you doing? Get back here, you’re so comfortable.”  
  
He highly doubts that, seeing as he’s more firm muscle and hard lines than inviting softness. “Sorry. Go back to sleep, I’m going to the other room to finish up some of that paperwork,” he whispers, pressing a light kiss against Eren’s forehead. Now that he’s up, he might as well do something useful.   
  
“No, you don’t,” Eren yawns, his arms looping right back around Levi and pulling him close. Well, that brings him back to square one with his escape attempts. “My pillow. You can’t sleep?” His voice holds the tiniest hint of concern, even in his current state, so Levi rushes in to clarify.   
  
“It’s okay. I’m used to it,” he claims. “I didn’t mean to wake you, though.”  
  
“That’s not good,” Eren replies with just a tiny hint of sadness in his voice. He begins idly carding through Levi’s hair, still a little clumsy from sleep, and damn, even though Levi had every intention of slinking off, it feels really nice to have Eren’s hands on him. “Always been like that?”  
  
“Pretty much.” Against his previous ambitions, he throws an arm around Eren’s waist, eyes falling closed, partially due to the gentle touches and partially to avoid facing Eren’s inquisitive stare. “It’s fine, I’m used to it.”  
  
“That’s not something you should get used to.” For a moment or two, there’s silence, and if it wasnt for the hand still threading through his hair, Levi might have thought Eren had fallen asleep again. “Can I try a thing?”  
  
“I’m old, Eren,” Levi reminds him with a slight frown. “I can only do so many rounds a night and you’ve already worn me out.  
  
There’s an exasperated sigh. "I didn’t mean that kind of a thing. A sleep thing.”  
  
“What kind of a sleep thing?” he inquires, only mildly interested.  
  
He can feel the press of the mattres as Eren moves in closer, pressing up against him. “Back when we were children, Mikasa and I would tell each other stories whenever one of us had trouble falling asleep,” he explains. “Calming, repetitive stories, though, not adventure and action. Can I try that? You know, like, talking you to sleep?”  
  
“Knock yourself out. Doubt it’s gonna work, though.” For all it’s worth, Eren has a really pleasant voice, so Levi doesn’t really mind humoring him. “Don’t stay awake too late doing that, you need sleep as well.”  
  
For an another while, much longer this time, there’s nothing but silence and Eren’s fingers stroking at his hair. When Eren speaks up, there’s a certain warmth in his voice that makes shivers run down Levi’s spine.  
  
“It’s fine. You shouldn’t be worrying about me so much, darling. You’re the insomniac here.” It’s said in a low tone, just above a whisper. “Then again, you’re always taking such good care of me and the rest of our squad. We couldn’t hold it together without you.”  
  
He can’t think of any answer to that, so he just states, “Whatever.”  
  
“Honestly, you’re the best leader we could’ve asked for,” Eren mutters as he brushes a kiss over his jaw. “Not to mention what you mean to me.”  
  
As much as he tries to brush it off, he can feel his cheeks heating up at the statement. “What is this?” he asks with all the disdain he can muster up at the moment, which isn’t much, to be honest – though he’d never admit it, hearing Eren say those kind of things to him sends something fluttering wildly inside of him.  
  
“This is me appreciating you,” Eren replies in a thoroughly innocent voice as he nestles back to his earlier spot. “You’ve given me so, so much, there’s no-one in this world I’d rather have by my side than you.”  
  
“Oh.” His chest is a lot tighter all of the sudden and he has to pause for a while to gather his thoughts. “Were these the kind of stories you and Mikasa told as kids, as well?”  
  
“Of course not,” Eren says with a tiny laugh. “I can tell you one of those some time, but now I just want to talk to you like this. I’ve always admired you, ever since I joined the Survey Corps.”  
  
This time Levi’s the one who gives a laugh, though a short and bitter one. “I’m not half the man you’ve built me up to be.”  
  
“I know, and that’s fine. I love you all the more for it.” Now there are kisses trailing along the side of his face, Eren’s lips moving against his skin as he goes on. “You’re so important to me, Levi, so dear and wonderful. I still can’t believe I get to hold you like this.” If it were anyone else than Eren saying it, those would be just empty words, but Levi can hear the raw and genuine emotion in his voice and doesn’t hesitate for a second that he’s serious.   
  
Instead of a proper response, he simply makes an affirming sound at the back of his throat and allows himself to relax in Eren’s embrace, his body growing heavy.  
  
“That’s it, love, you don’t have to worry about a thing. I’ve got you,” Eren says with an approving hum. “I’ve got you now and I’m never letting go. I love you so much and I’m right here for you, I’m always going to be here.”  
  
“That’s nice,” he mumbles, briefly wondering why his own voice sounds like it’s coming from miles away, but soon Eren’s brushing through his hair again and making him forget everything. All that remain are the kind words, soothing touches and the softness of the mattress under him. “Eren. You’re nice.”  
  
Eren smiles against his skin. “Right back at you. I’m going to bundle you up and keep you safe and sound, okay? My darling, my most prized treasure, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make you happy.”  
  
“Yeah.” It comes across more as a yawn than a coherent reply, and a couple of minutes later he gives up on talking all together and just settles for listening, allowing Eren’s smooth voice and sweet words to fill his head.  
  
The last thing he registers is a hushed and reverent confession of love, and everything after that becomes a blur as he drifts off to sleep.   
  
It just so happens that it’s the best sleep he’s had in years.


	3. overstimulation

“I can’t,” he whimpers, face buried in the pillow, and Levi smiles wickedly from where he’s settled between Eren’s legs.

“You can and you will,” he states without an ounce of hesitation in his voice. His fingers twist upwards as he rubs over Eren’s prostate in slow motions, drawing a high-pitched moan that’s bordering on a wail out of him. “Don’t you want to be a good boy for me, hm?”  
  
Maybe he should feel guilty for so blatantly exploiting Eren’s need for praise, but to be fair, he doesn’t regret it at all – Eren draws in a shaky breath, his cock giving a twitch against his stomach, and though Levi can’t see his face, every muscle in his body is taut with concentration, so eager to please even though he must be falling apart by now.   
  
“There we go, you’re going so well, baby.” Levi kisses along his stomach, pressing down harder at his insides. “Just once more and then we’re done, I know you can do it.”  
  
For the sixth time that night, Eren stills under his touch, back arching as he comes with a soundless moan. There’s not a lot that comes out since Levi pretty sure he’s already milked Eren dry, but if his feverish squirming and panting are anything to go by, this orgasm is still just as torturously sweet as the previous one.  
  
He’s still wriggling and making incoherent sounds as Levi crawls up his body and gathers him up in his arms. Against their usual setup, he’d agreed to not tie Eren up, and now, as he cradles him against his chest, Levi feels a curious sense of pride – even without being bound, his darling had done just as asked and resisted touching himself, though it must have been so difficult for him.   
  
“You were so wonderful, love, I’m so proud of you,” he whispers into Eren’s hair and feels him shiver even more as he strokes along his back gently. “Bath?”  
  
Words appear to be beyond Eren at this point, but he gives a garbled whimper against Levi’s neck that sounds a lot like an affirmation and clings on to him harder.


	4. lazy morning sex with toys

What eventually wakes Levi up is the sensation of warm pressure against his side. It would be kind of nice if that pressure weren’t constantly squirming and shifting around, and by the time Levi hears a tiny gasp, he has to open his eyes, even if only halfway.

“Eren,” he groans, still more asleep than awake. “It’s too damn early, go back to sleep.” It’s one of his rare off days, and he plans to spend half of it sleeping and the other half cuddling with his boyfriend, but damn, surely they don’t have to start on the cuddling at ass o'lock?  
  
“Where’s the remote?” he hears Eren ask in a breathy tone, and that’s about the last thing Levi had expected to hear.  
  
“What? I don’t know, in the living room. Don’t turn the TV on too loud, though, I still wanna sleep,” he mutters and prepares to return to blissful unconsciousness, but Eren isn’t giving up.  
  
“I’m serious, where is it?” he hisses as he presses in closer, and this time Levi can feel a definite erection pressing against his thigh.  
  
“Oh, still so excited about last night?” he purrs, but Eren seems more agitated than arused as he digs his teeth into Levi’s shoulder. A strong and even bite, he notes casually. By now he’s already found out that Eren has remarkably defined temporomandibular joints, even though he’s rather careless with his dental hygiene at times.   
  
“That’s the problem,” Eren huffs, and only now Levi begins to notice the flush lingering over his cheeks. “You left it in me last night.”  
  
When Levi only gives him a confused glance in return, Eren goes on. “The vibrator. It’s, uh, still inside.”  
  
Maybe it’s because Levi’s just barely awake that the meaning of those words takes a while to register. Last night had been more intense than usual and it had been well past midnight when the two of then had finally collapsed into a sweaty tangle of limbs under the covers, falling asleep instantly. But really, he couldn’t have forgotten something as important as a vibrator up Eren’s ass.  
  
“You’re kidding,” he says, and Eren gives a firm shake of his head.  
  
“I can feel it,” he says in a tone that sounds way too solemn for the occasion, wriggling his hips a little. “Maybe that’s why I had such weirdly sexual dreams.”  
  
It sounds better than Levi’s dream of his dental instruments becoming sentient and singing to him in German, and with Eren’s arousal pressed up against him, he’s getting more and more interested himself. “It’s not still on, is it?” he asks, wondering if they even make batteries that last that long.  
  
Eren laughs under his breath. “Of course not. If that were the case I would’ve waken you up much earlier.”  
  
“Can’t you just reach down and pull it out, then?” Levi suggests with a raised brow.   
  
Eren’s hands roam impatiently over his chest, coming to wrap around his neck for support as he full-on grinds himself against Levi’s thigh. “That’s boring,” he whines, seductive emerald eyes fixed on Levi. “Come on, the thing’s gotten me so worked up already. Find the remote and get me off, please?”  
  
Sleep is tempting, but Eren’s asking so nicely with a deliciously needy tone, his hair mussed up and voice still a little hoarse from all the screaming he did the previous night, and Levi’s never been that good at resisting him in such a state.   
  
Eventually he finds the remote buried under his pillow, and with just one press of a button, Eren’s arching against him and moaning out loud, nails digging into the bare skin of his shoulders. From the way he’s shivering all over Levi can tell that he must still be sensitive from their activities last night, but that doesn’t stop him from shamelessly rutting against Levi and clinging on to him like his life depends on it.   
  
He goes completely rigid as he comes, mouth caught open and eyes closed tightly, and it’s such a perfect look on him that Levi simply has to kiss him, greedily swallowing up the tiny incoherent noises he makes at the back of his throat as he rides out his orgasm.   
  
Afterwards he slumps against Levi’s chest and looks like he’s about ready to go back to sleep, but as Levi reaches down to trail a finger through the come sputtered on his stomach, sleeping is suddenly the last thing on either of their minds.


	5. sweet and passionate

“Look at you, so adorable,” Levi coos, his eyes full of fondness as he cradles Eren’s face in his hands. “My little darling, I’m gonna eat you up.” 

Eren doesn’t bother pointing out that he’s a good few inches taller and not nearly as scrawny as he once was, because to be honest, he kind of wants Levi to keep talking to him like that. It’s moments like these when it’s just the two of them under the covers and Levi buried deep inside of him that he feels most at ease, everything else forgotten for just a few moments.   
  
He buries his face in the crook of Levi’s neck, smiling against the bare skin. “Stop it,” he laughs, drawing out the words as he wriggles around in Levi’s lap, feeling so pleased that he can’t even stay still. “You’re too sweet.”  
  
“No,  _you_  are,” Levi counters, sounding just as content. A sharp thrust of his hips sends his cock dragging right over Eren’s prostate and he looks so damn smug when Eren lets out a choked groan. “You’re so pretty like this, my lovely Eren, I’m so glad you’re mine. You’re perfect.”  
  
Damn, he’d already felt like crying earlier when Levi had first entered him, but now Eren’s sure that there are tears brimming up behind his closed eyelids. He mumbles something inaudible into Levi’s shoulder and tries to sniffle indiscreetly, but of course it doesn’t go unnoticed.  
  
“It’s okay.” There’s a gentle hand pulling at his hair and coaxing him to draw back, and after a little more wriggling, Eren glances at Levi shyly with watery eyes and sees just as much overwhelming emotion reflected back in Levi’s soft glance. “It’s okay, love. I’ve got you.”


	6. "you did all this for me?"

As soon as Levi steps into their apartment, he is met with ominous silence.  
  
Usually by this time of the day he’ll find Eren either in the kitchen with the radio on full volume or slouched on the sofa watching TV, but now his husband is nowhere to be found. Granted, Levi’s home earlier than on most days, but it’s strange to come home without being instantly greeted by Eren’s cheerful voice.   
  
After toeing off his shoes, he makes his way further inside, still seeing nor hearing any signs of life. It’s a small apartment and there aren’t many places to hide, so Levi’s not surprised to find Eren in the bedroom. However, he is surprised by what he’s wearing.  
  
They merely stare at each other for a small eternity, both looking equally shocked. Even in the dim light of the bedroom, Levi can see the faint panic in Eren’s eyes.  
  
After a long, long while, Eren finally speaks up. “You’re home early,” he says with an almost accusing tone.  
  
“Um,” is all Levi can say. Once the initial shock has passed, his gaze slides away from Eren’s face and down along his body instead, taking in each and every detail of his current state. The delicate lacy panties he’s wearing are a lovely shade of pink that goes well with his tan skin, and just as Levi had walked in on him it seems that he’d been in the process of pulling on the matching pink thigh highs laid out on the bed. “Yeah.”  
  
Eren seems to snap out of his daze as he frantically grabs the duvet to cover himself up, much to Levi’s disappointment. “You’re not supposed to be here  _now_ ,” he whines, a steady blush creeping over his cheeks.   
  
“Do you, uh, do you want me to go?” he inquires, though he really doesn’t want to and instead takes a tentative step closer, “what  _is_  all this?”  
  
Clutching the duvet tighter around himself, Eren glances down at his feet. “Well, I remember you mentioned wanting to see me in something like this, and since our first anniversary’s coming up in a few weeks, I thought…” he trails off, growing more hesitant with each word. “You know what, it was a dumb idea, I’m gonna return this stuff, so let’s just forget about it, okay?”  
  
Levi interrupts his rambling by placing a gentle hand over his. “No. Let me see first,” he drawls, his gaze intense and determined when Eren looks up at him.  
  
Slowly, he lets go of the duvet and it falls to the floors, arms coming to cross over his chest. Though he’s a little hunched over, Levi has the perfect view of his full, soft thighs and the half-hard cock barely contained by the white fabric and it’s better than he could’ve imagined. Damn, he really is a horrible person for getting so worked up about seeing his dear Eren so flustered and embarrassed, biting down on his lip and looking like he might cry any moment now.  
  
“You did all this for me?” Levi asks softly, his fingers coming to trail over the lace. It looks and feels like a high-quality pair, certainly not something that comes cheap.   
  
Eren opens and closes his mouth a few times, starting to look a little less teary. “Yeah. Do you like it?”  
  
“Darling,” Levi sighs, pressing a kiss against Eren’s forehead. It’s requiring significant effort to not just take him right there and then and risk ruining the pretty lingerie. “You look so amazing.” His hand ventures to rub over the curve of Eren’s ass, fingers sliding under the fabric of the panties.  
  
“There’s more,” Eren informs him, and Levi thinks he might just die from the hopeful and coy edge in his voice. “I… may have gotten a little carried away and gotten a couple more pairs.”   
  
“A couple?” Levi asks, coaxing Eren to meet his curious stare.  
  
“Okay, maybe a bit more than just a couple,” he admits  
  
“Well, in that case you ought to model the rest of them for me as well.”


	7. "you fainted... straight into my arms"

He comes to slowly, but instead of seeing vast blue sky above him, he’s met with the familiar stone ceiling above his bed. After a few moments of confusion, it all comes back to him, or at least parts of it – they’d been outside training as usual, and the last thing Eren remembers is sparring with Jean. After that there’s a huge gap in his memory, and now he’s here, back in his bed.  
  
Sitting up takes significant effort since his head is spinning wildly and his whole body feels like lead. In fact, he’s only halfway there when a familiar voice calling out to him makes him stop in his tracks.   
  
“Careful,” Levi says from where he’s seated at the foot of the bed, eyes closely trained on him. “How are you feeling?”  
  
“What,” Eren starts off as he clambers up, now all too awake. There are a million thoughts running through his head at once and arranging them all into coherent form feels far too challenging. “What happened?”  
  
The confusion must be written all over his face since Levi places a comforting hand by his leg. “You fainted. Straight into my arms,” he replies. “You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”  
  
“I fainted?” Eren repeats, his voice sounding so feeble to his own ears. Slight panic washes over him as he attempts to rise to his feet but is kept firmly in place by Levi’s grip.   
  
“Don’t move,” he orders, giving Eren a stern look. “You’re only gonna make it worse.”  
  
“No, it’s fine,” Eren claims. It’s probably not fine since he feels like he might topple over any moment now, but they’d just been in the middle of training and he’d promised to do some titan experiments afterwards and if he’s late again they won’t have enough daylight to keep going. “I’ll just walk it off, no worries.”  
  
“No, you won’t. Stay.” There’s a sharp edge in Levi’s voice that makes Eren stay where he is. “Did you have lunch?”  
  
“Of course I did, you sat at the table with me,” he scoffs. Yes, they’d both been sitting at the table, but to be honest, Eren had been in such a hurry that he’d excused himself after just a couple of spoonfuls of the flavorless potato soup. “You’re overreacting.”  
  
With a long-suffering sigh, Levi reaches towards the table perched next to the bed, and it isn’t until now that Eren notices the small plate that’s apparently been waiting for him. On it are slices of what looks like apples, along with a generous chunk of bread and some butter.   
  
“Eat,” Levi says, plucking up one of the slices and all but thrusting it towards his mouth.   
  
Eren stares at it incredulously for a moment, but in the end he cracks his mouth open and allows Levi to feed the slice of apple to him. It tastes pleasantly sour and refreshing, and soon Levi’s holding an another one up to his mouth.  
  
“I can eat by myself, you know,” Eren points out, but eats it as offered anyway.  
  
“I know,” Levi replies. His thumb strokes over Eren’s cheek, and as Eren meets his gaze, he can see an unusual amount of concern in those eyes. “But will you?”  
  
“Fine, whatever.” But just because he doesn’t feel like playing nice, Eren throws in an impudent roll of his eyes for good measure as he takes the plate from Levi. “I’ll eat it. But I’m still doing experiments with Hanji later.”  
  
Levi doesn’t say anything to that, nearly leans closer to brush his lips over Eren’s forehead. “You scared us,” he states, something unrecognizable laced in his voice.   
  
“Sorry,” Eren breathes out. His fingers search out Levi’s and hold on tight. “I should be more careful, huh.”  
  
“You should,” Levi states pointedly, nudging him with mock annoyance. “Or else I’m gonna have to start keeping you on a leash every day to make sure you don’t run off and hurt yourself.”  
  
“Kinky,” he comments with a grin and receives an agitated glare in response.  
  
“Eat up and rest for a while, then you can go help Sasha make dinner,” Levi states, hovering close to him for a moment before he draws away. “We’re done training for today, anyway.”  
  
“Thank you,” Eren murmurs, taking Levi’s hand in his and lightly trailing his lips over Levi’s knuckles. “For looking after me.”  
  
“Goodness knows you need it,” Levi sighs and places one last kiss into his hair before going, and Eren’s left there with apples and bread and a dumb little smile lingering on his face.


	8. "wait, are you jealous?" + "it's just me, relax"

As far as first dates go, Eren thinks theirs has been a success so far. Some coffee and pleasant conversation along with just a bit of flirting – they’d even shared a piece of chocolate cake using the same fork, which had definitely been the highlight for Eren.   
  
But as it turns out, going from good friends to something more has its awkward moments, as well. Such as the fact that he literally cannot stop staring at Levi’s mouth.   
  
Maybe going for a coffee date hadn’t been such a wise idea in that regard, though before this day Eren had never discovered his huge oral fixation. He’s completely entranced by the curve of Levi’s lips when he cracks a slight smile at Eren, not to mention what it does to him seeing Levi’s tongue to dart out and lick off the tiny spot of frosting caught on to his finger.   
  
They’re on their first date and Eren’s already a mess, goddamnit. And to think that all they’ve done so far is hold hands and exchange a few vaguely suggestive one-liners.   
  
It’s not like he hasn’t tried, mind you. Ever since he’d watched Levi lick off that damn frosting, he’s been gathering up the courage to close the distance between them and go for a kiss. It’s just a little kiss, he keeps telling himself, but then he’ll meet Levi’s eyes for the briefest of moments and what little resolution he’s managed to build up crumbles away.   
  
Even after they’ve left the coffee shop Eren is still hesitating. It’s just a short walk to Levi’s apartment and he knows that their ways will part soon, so if he wants to make his move, he’s gonna have to do it within the next ten minutes or so. It’s just one kiss, but there are so many things that could go wrong – what if he’s too clumsy or eager, or what if he accidentally headbutts Levi? Damn, he’s never kissed a person so much shorter than him, what if there’s a whole different technique to it?  
  
As his thoughts run off to goodness knows where, so does his mouth. Eren’s fairly sure he’s done nothing but chatter nervously during their whole date, and he keeps it up as they turn into a more secluded street, at the end of which Levi’s apartment building is located. While he’s yammering away, he decides that this is it, now or never. He’s gonna do it.   
  
“Meow,” someone says, and Eren knows that it’s not himself, and it certainly isn’t Levi, either, since Eren’s fairly sure his vocal chords aren’t even capable of producing such high-pitched sounds.   
  
Instead it’s a black and white cat, sat in the middle of the pavement with its tail waving absently behind it. The cat looks at the both of them curiously, its head tilted to the side as it sizes them up.  
  
“Aww, how cute,” Eren coos as he crouches down. He should probably be upset at the cat for butting in at the precise moment he’d intented to finally kiss Levi, but it looks too damn cute as it sits there without a care in the world like it owns the whole damn street. “Here, kitty kitty.”  
  
He’s always regarded himself as a friend of all wild animals, so naturally the kitty pads towards him. However, instead of coming to his waiting arms, it makes its way to Levi’s feet, rubbing its head against the fabric of his jeans.   
  
Levi crouches down next to him, hands coming to pet at the fuzzy creature’s ears. “That’s strange, I don’t think any of my neighbors own a cat,” he wonders out loud.  
  
“It likes you,” Eren states. He tries not to sound jealous, he really does, but he’s not sure how well he succeeds in it. What’s more disconcerting, however, is that he’s not sure if he’s more jealous of Levi getting along so well with the cat instead of him, or of the cat for getting Levi’s undivided attention and pets.   
  
Suddenly the cat reaches up on its hind legs and licks a wet stripe along Levi’s jaw, and oh, boy, does Eren wish he could do that as well.   
  
“You little menace,” Levi sighs, but picks up the cat nonetheless, bringing it up to his face. “You’re lucky you’re so cute.”  
  
“You like cats?” Eren asks with a tiny smile. He’d never considered Levi with animals before, but now, upon witnessing this scene, he’s somehow all the more attracted to him.   
  
“Yeah. I wouldn’t mind owning one myself some day,” Levi replies, sounding absent-minded somehow, far too focused on nuzzling the cat’s face. “It’s really fluffy.”  
  
Okay, that’s another thing Eren never knew he was into: handsome, if somewhat serious, men with cats. Forget about porn, he’d be just fine watching Levi nuzzle cats for hours. On the other hand, he’s more than a little conflicted: while it’s too fucking adorable watching his crush interact with fluffy animals, said action is currently resulting in Levi paying absolutely no attention to him, not to mention that the damn cat had ruined their first kiss.   
  
“Cats are nice,” he agrees quietly as he glares at the cat.  _Go away for just a moment,_ he tries to signal telepathically,  _I should be the one getting nuzzled._  
  
The cat does not go away, despite all of his sulking. And yes, he’s entirely aware that it’s so stupid and childish to get upset at a cat, but that fact doesn’t ease his dismay at all.  
  
Apparently he’s been quiet for too long already since Levi looks over at him, raising a brow when he notices his expression. “Eren?”  
  
“Uh, yes?” he says, blinking at the sound of his own name as he tries to force that usual cheery smile on to his face.  
  
Something shifts in Levi’s expression as he sets the cat down on to the ground. “Wait a minute,” he starts off slowly, as if he’s doubting every word. “Are you jealous?”  
  
“No!” Eren answers, perhaps a little too quickly, hands clenching into fists as he stumbles up.  
  
“Of a cat? Seriously?” Levi questions, sounding infuriatingly amused as he, too, stands up. “You could’ve just said something and I would’ve pet you, as well.”  
  
This was not how it was supposed to go at all. Eren had it all planned out in his head – he’d swoop down in one smooth move and capture Levi’s lips in a gentle kiss and then pink flowers and floating hearts would materialize out of thin air and everything would be perfect. Instead of all that, he’s left bright red and stammering like an embarrassed schoolgirl.  
  
“You’ve got it all wrong,” he tries to explain, but as Levi grabs on to his hand and moves to stand right in front of him, all excuses vanish from his head.   
  
“So you don’t want me to pet you, hm?” Levi asks with a wicked smile.   
  
“I do,” Eren blurts out and immediately wishes the ground would just open up and swallow him whole, “um, I mean, you don’t have to, it’s…”  
  
He’s interrupted by Levi’s hand rising up and lightly carding through his hair, and Eren swears that if he could purr he’d be doing so right now. “It’s what?”   
  
“I wanted to kiss you, but then the cat came along,” he confesses. Hey, it’s not like he has anything to lose by this point.   
  
Levi doesn’t appear surprised. “Good, I was worried you wouldn’t want that,” he sighs, breath ghosting over Eren’s jaw. “So it’s fine, then?”  
  
_Yes, yes, it’s better than fine,_  he wants to scream, but all that comes out of his mouth is an incoherent mumble. After taking a few deep breaths and grabbing on to Levi’s jacket to stop his hands from shaking, he finally manages a nod. “It’s fine,” he says in what’s barely an anxious whisper, and suddenly all those worries that have been swirling in his head return at full force. Is it fine? What if he’s not a good enough kisser for Levi?  
  
As if he’s reading Eren’s mind, Levi strokes along his neck with soft, reassuring touches. “It’s just me, relax,” he whispers, face only a fraction away from Eren’s. Just Levi, his lifelong friend who’s seen Eren at his worst and yet still stayed with him. “It’s fine. You’re fine.”  
  
And when their lips finally meet, he really is.


	9. "kiss me"

It slips out of his mouth before he can catch himself, the words barely a hoarse whisper. In the dim light of their bedroom, he can see Levi quirk a brow at him.  
  
“What was that?” he inquires, hands stopping at where they’d been playing with the waistband of Eren’s boxers. From the way his lips curve up into a coy smile Eren knows damn well that he’d heard him the first time.   
  
“Kiss me,” he repeats nonetheless. In his current position, half-naked with his hands tied to the bedposts, sass would do him little to no good.   
  
Levi leans in closer, close enough that Eren can feel his breath fan over his cheek. “I don’t know about that,” he drawls. “What’s the magic word?”  
  
“ _Please_  kiss me,” Eren tries again, a pleading edge in his voice. This whole setup had been his idea, yes, but he hadn’t realized how frustrating it would be to have Levi right there hovering over him and all but taunting him while he’s unable to do anything.  
  
Finally there are fingertips trailing over his jaw and Eren cranes his head up expectantly. Instead of the much-awaited kiss, however, all he gets is a low chuckle against his neck. “You’re impatient, today, aren’t you?” It’s spoken in a light, teasing tone that holds a promise of so much more, and now Eren’s even more impatient.   
  
“I can’t touch you,” he complains, nudging Levi with his head, a pout rising to his features.  
  
“That’s sort of the point,” Levi remarks. His other hand is making its way under Eren’s boxers, brushing gently over the skin of his thighs. “Guess you’ll just have to be a good boy and let me ravish you all night.”  
  
God, yes. Eren doesn’t even have the words to express how much he agrees with that. “Maybe you should start off by giving me a kiss,” he suggests, wriggling around restlessly in his bounds.   
  
“Should I?” Levi wonders out loud. His lips are mere inches from Eren’s, so damn close but not yet touching. “I don’t know, I kind of like seeing you so flustered.”  
  
“You’re horrible.” He can almost feel that soft mouth upon his, so warm and gentle and loving, because that’s how Levi always is with him, even when he’s tied down and completely vulnerable. “Meanie.”  
  
“You’re gorgeous,” Levi replies, and while it’s not the most appropriate comeback, it does make Eren squirm even harder. “My Eren.” He pulls back a little to gaze over Eren’s body as if he’d want to devour him right there and then, pausing to appreciate the straining muscles of his arms before traveling down and finally lingering on the small trail of hair that disappears all the way under his boxers.   
  
What’s possibly the worst part is that Eren can’t even cover up his reddening face or the obvious bulge at his crotch. “You’re horrible and you won’t even kiss me,” he mutters, chewing on his lip in frustration.   
  
Just then, Levi sweeps down, brushing his mouth lightly over Eren’s, and while it’s the most innocent thing ever Eren’s sure that his boner’s going to shoot through the roof any moment now.   
  
“Don’t bite your lip,” Levi says with a tiny frown, cradling Eren’s face in his hands.   
  
“Kiss it better for me,” Eren demands breathlessly, and now, at long last, Levi does just that.


	10. "i thought you were dead"

Life is different now, but not in a bad way.  
  
They live in a small one bedroom apartment together that had been advertised as having an ocean view. Truthfully, you have to stand up on your toes and reach over the railing and crane your head a little if you want to catch a glimpse of the ocean.   
  
This doesn’t bother Eren as much now as it had before, because now he remembers a faraway time when he hadn’t even known what an ocean was. These days there are no walls towering over them - instead there are cars trudging along the road outside their building and there are fast food restaurants where you can buy a whole box of chicken nuggets for five dollars and there are also potted plants and smartphones and a million other things Eren couldn’t even live without.  
  
Yet he has lived without all that once and managed, at least passably, because all he can remember are glimpses and most of them aren’t that happy.  
  
Sometimes he’ll remember more, other times less, but something that remains constant through all those memories is having Levi by his side. It’s a small miracle that they’ve found each other again in this life – in fact, so far he’s the only one Eren’s been reunited with. Unlike before, the world is so large now, and statistically it’s quite likely that most of their squad is scattered across several continents.  
  
Often it gets too much to bear, so there are times when Eren will find himself laying on the floor of their apartment, staring up at the ceiling and listening to each long exhale that leaves him just to make sure that he still exists. It’s strangely calming to just lay there and feel the solid hardwood floor under his back and the cool breeze coming in through the open window. If he could have it his way, they wouldn’t even be living in an apartment. They’d live in the middle of the woods or by the seashore and make their home under unobstructed skies.  
  
It’s a good thing that one of them is more practical, because goodness knows that following Eren’s way of thinking wouldn’t work in the long run.   
  
On one such difficult afternoon when Levi returns from work and finds him laying on the floor he sounds like he’s about to have a heart attack.  
  
“For fuck’s sake, Eren, don’t do that. I thought you were dead,” he scoffs after Eren’s greeted him lazily. “At least nap on the sofa or something, it’s right there.”  
  
“I’m not napping,” Eren exclaims from where he’s laying right next to the aforementioned sofa, and apparently Levi catches the hesitant edge in his voice.   
  
“It’s that again, huh,” he states. Eren listens to the comforting sound of his footsteps as he makes his way further into the apartment.  
  
“It is,” he agrees silently.  
  
There’s a faint rustle of clothing as Levi comes to sit down next to him, his fingers lightly trailing over Eren’s. “Can I lay down with you?” he asks like it’s the most natural thing in the world, like laying on the living room floor is just a normal activity all couples like to engage in.  
  
“That would be nice,” Eren says, and while it’s nothing more than a statement, it somehow sounds more like a plea to him.   
  
Levi settles next to him, pressing their shoulders together and holding on to his hand like he’s the most precious thing in the whole world. Even in this life Levi’s not that good with words, but from his firm yet gentle grip and the way his thumb brushes over Eren’s knuckles in an idle, soothing motion, Eren knows that what they have will last at least a dozen lifetimes more.


	11. "i'm pregnant"

When he wakes up the next morning, he’s fully at ease for a moment or two, wrapped up in the soft sheets that hold an unusual yet so comforting scent that he wants to do nothing more than to just stay there for the rest of his life.   
  
Of course, reality eventually hits Levi when he realizes that this isn’t his bed.   
  
The first thing that gives it away is the fact that his head is propped up on two pillows. Everybody knows that just one pillow is optimal, and in fact, Levi doesn’t even own any more than just one. The second thing, which ultimately causes him to crack his eyes open, is the faint sound of something that resembles vomiting carrying over from the bathroom.  
  
The thought of someone throwing up in his bathroom is rather disconcerting, so of course he staggers up, only to discover that this isn’t his room, either. By extension, the bathroom where someone’s currently blowing chunks doesn’t belong to him either, which makes the whole situation a little better, he supposes.  
  
On second thought, maybe not, because now as he blinks away the last few traces of sleep, he realizes that this is Eren’s room. And by that logic, the person vomiting in the bathroom must be Eren.   
  
Very slowly, last night’s events return to him. They’d downed a few drinks and played some video games, nothing too unusual, but at some point it all becomes a blur, no matter how much Levi tries to strain his memory.   
  
What he does remember is bare tanned skin thrumming under his fingertips and lidded emerald eyes staring him down and drawing him in deeper, and holy hell, he’d fucked Eren last night, hadn’t he?  
  
Yes. Yes, he had.   
  
The details aren’t all that clear to him, but he distinctly recalls having Eren cling on to him, nails digging into his shoulders and his body responding to Levi’s every touch so beautifully, as if he was made for Levi to hold and play with. It’s a shame that he doesn’t remember that much since he’s spent a good few nights pining after Eren and imagining what he might look like when coming undone.  
  
Fantasies aside, now that he’s actually done the unthinkable with his roommate, he’ll probably have to deal with the aftermath. His limbs feel so heavy as he stumbles up from the bed and retrieves his clothes from where they’re scattered around the floor, taking an excessively long time dressing himself. Each second that he spends fiddling with his zipper means more time before he’ll have to knock on that bathroom door and face the consequences.  
  
Feeling nervous is fucking stupid, Levi tries to tell himself. They’d shared an apartment for, what, almost a year now? How much could one drunken hookup really change?  
  
Okay, to be fair, it’s not really just last night that has him so antsy. It’s the fact that Eren’s been consistently occupying his thoughts for the last year or so and it’s gotten to the point where it’s kinda hard to function whenever he happens to be in the same room with Levi because his damn puppy dog eyes and blindingly bright smile make Levi trip over his words like a teenager.   
  
Luckily there’s a sturdy bathroom door between them now or Levi’s sure he’d be unable to form any words. “Hey. Eren,” he calls out as he knocks on the door and receives a faint gurling noise in response.   
  
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Eren eventually mumbles. “I feel awful.”  
  
“Yeah,” Levi agrees, though he’s not sure if it’s the same kind of awful they’re feeling. He has to clear his throat a few times before he gets out the next words, and even then they sound a bit feeble. “Are you coming out? We need to talk.”  
  
Eren gives a dry laugh. “Coming out. Get it?” There’s a moment of silence during which Levi stares blankly at the wooden surface. “It’s a gay joke. Which I probably am right now. Gay, that is.”  
  
“Okay, yeah,” Levi starts off. As someone who’s been through that initial panic years ago, he can’t exactly claim to relate to Eren. “Do you think you’ll be done throwing up soon?”  
  
“I don’t know, I feel really queasy.” Maybe he’s just imagining it, but he thinks he hears Eren give a faint sniffle. “What if…” There’s a heavy pause and he can all but feel the hysteria emanating from the other side of the door. “I’m pregnant. Fuck, did we use a condom?”  
  
Out of all the things he would’ve expected to hear, that is probably the dumbest one. “First of all, it doesn’t happen that quickly,” Levi sighs as he leains his forehead on to the door. His crush is an idiot. A lovable idiot at that, but still an idiot. “Second, I think we did. There’s about five used ones laying around on the floor. I counted.”  
  
“Five?” Eren echoes, voice rising just a bit. “No wonder I can barely walk.”  
  
“Third, and I can’t believe I’m the one who has to break this to you,” Levi goes on, ignoring the interruption, “it doesn’t work that way when you have two dicks. Our genitals are incompatible in that sense. You’re just hungover.”  
  
“Well, they were compatiblating just fine last night, don’t you think?” Eren states in an almost mocking tone. Judging by the sounds, he’s moved to rinse off his mouth.   
  
“That’s not even a word,” Levi points out, the tension in his shoulders easing just slightly.  
  
“ _You’re_ not a word,” comes the genius rebuttal, and now Levi manages to even crack a smile. At least Eren’s still being his usual self.  
  
They’re both quiet for a while, perhaps waiting for something. Eventually it’s Levi who breaks the silence.   
  
“Do you hate me now?” he asks, not sure if he wants to know the answer.   
  
Eren gives a sigh, and it sounds like he’s standing right by the door as well, maybe even leaning against it in a similar position. “I could never hate you,” he replies with just a touch of uncertainty in his voice. “I just… have no idea what to do.”  
  
“How about you come out first?” Levi suggests, surprising even himself with how calm he sounds. “We’ll work it out. Together. If you want to, that is.”  
  
“I do want,” Eren replies earnestly. “God, do I ever.”  
  
“Come out then. It’s fine.” His hand curls over the doorhandle, holding on for support. “It’s just me.”  
  
The sound of the lock snapping open from the inside echoes through the messy room, and while it’s only the beginning, Levi thinks that they’ll be alright. 


	12. "i think i'm in love with you and i'm terrified" + "please don't do this"

It’s been a strange couple of days, to say the least.   
  
The effort to reclaim Wall Maria had been more successful than anyone could have imagined, but now, after spending time recuperating at Sina, it becomes apparent that the success hadn’t been without a cost.  
  
He visits Eren every day, often several hours at a time. The infirmary nurse lets him stay long after nightfall and thankfully doesn’t try to strike up a conversation with him, other than informing him of any changes in Eren’s condition. Not much has improved since Levi had cut him out of the smoking titan carcass, but nevertheless, Levi sits by his bed every day and waits for him to open his eyes.   
  
He’d promised to take responsibility for this kid, and now it had come to this.   
  
There are other injured soldiers being treated, as well, but they all leave within a few days, some on crutches and others with a missing arm, but all of them alive. After a while, only Eren remains, laying motionless under the covers pulled up to his chest, not dead but not really something Levi would call alive, either.   
  
The nurse had likened his state to that of a hibernating animal – his heartrate and breathing have slowed down significantly, and though he’s unconscious, the periodic movements of his eyes behind his closed lids suggest that he’s following some kind of a sleep-wake cycle, even though so far he’s showing no signs of waking up. All they can do is wait, she’d told him with downcast eyes. For how long, she hadn’t specified, and Levi hadn’t asked.  
  
While it’s a rather bleak space, he’s tried making Eren’s little corner of the infirmary as comfortable as possible. There’s a large window right by his bed, and though the nurse had objected at first, Levi had insisted that the curtains should be left open.  
  
“He likes the sunlight,” he’d told her in an emotionless tone. “It could help.” She’d given him a pitying look but had left the curtains as they were.   
  
So far, the sunlight has done absolutely nothing, as Levi watches its last rays filter through the dusty glass and shine their faint yet warm light over Eren’s face, he thinks that the boy would appreciate it.  
  
After exactly one week of Eren’s being unconcious, Levi starts talking to him. By now it has only a little to do with the fact that it could rouse Eren, but more with simply keeping himself sane as he stares at Eren’s expressionless features. It’s so unnatural seeing him like this – Eren’s the most obvious person he’s ever met, and by now he’s learned to read his face like an open book.   
  
“You’re an idiot,” is the first thing that he says to Eren, and naturally, receives no response. It starts off as accusations berating Eren of every single mistake he’s ever made, especially the one to fucking overwork himself into a coma, but no matter how much of his anger he pours out, Eren doesn’t stir.   
  
The next time he brings a few wildflowers and an ugly vase that he sets on the nightstand and apologizes profusely and digs his nails into Eren’s hands and  _demands_ that he wake up right now.   
  
“Please don’t do this,” he whispers, mouth hovering right next to Eren’s ear to make sure he hears him. “Wake up.”  
  
And then, after Levi’s choked down the tears threatening to well up in his eyes, “I think I’m in love with you and I’m terrified.”  
  
Despite of everything, Eren doesn’t wake up. Levi knows this, but when the nurse starts talking about a burial, he turns on his heels and walks out of the whole building without looking back.  
  
The sunlight is rather nice, even if a little blinding. He’d almost forgotten about it after spending so much time by Eren’s bedside.   
  
He doesn’t talk to anyone, even though Hanji and Erwin try to reach out to him. It’s nice of them to do so, but right now, he can’t bring himself to face anyone. Maybe if he’d done something differently, if he’d taken better care of Eren, this would have never happened. The thought looms over him like a dark gray cloud wherever he goes, and out all his regrets, Eren has to be the biggest one.   
  
For three whole days, he tries to occupy himself with other things. There’s plenty of work to be done, but none of it holds his interest for too long, and soon, though he’d promised to stay away, he finds himself in the infirmary again.   
  
The nurse greets him as he enters, her lips curved into a smile. “Good morning, captain,” she says, and the woman sure has a lot of guts to smiling in a situation like this. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.” She struts off without another word as Levi strides over to Eren’s bed.  
  
Surprised green eyes stare at him as he freezes in place at the foot of the bed, and only a couple moments later, there are familiar arms wrapped around his neck as Eren all but throws himself at him.  
  
“Captain Levi!” he breathes out, and that has to be the sweetest sound Levi’s ever heard. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you!”  
  
“Eren,” he says, clenching his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. “Don’t ever fucking do that again.” It’s all he manages to say without his voice cracking.   
  
“I’m really sorry,” Eren goes on, sounding so adorably concerned. Levi can feel him trying to pull away and instantly winds his arms around him in a posessive gesture, not letting him move an inch. “Uh, is everyone else okay?”  
  
“Yes, they’re okay. Everything’s okay,” he replies quietly and rests his forehead against Eren’s shoulder, breathing in the dizzying scent of soap and clean linen and all things Eren. “You’re okay. You’re alive.”  
  
“Yeah, you’re not getting rid of me that easily,” Eren laughs. Goddamnit, the boy nearly died yet he’s still laughing. “I heard you, by the way. You were talking to me.”  
  
Suddenly Levi remembers all the insults he’d hurled at Eren in hopes of waking him up and feels his cheeks heat up. “I was kind of mean to you, wasn’t I?”   
  
With amusement laced in his voice, Eren leans in closer to hover his mouth over his ear and whisper, “No, I meant that other thing.”  
  
It takes a moment for him to realize what Eren means, and when it finally dawns to Levi, he can’t help but to tense up.   
  
“I just wanted to say that, uh, me, too,” Eren goes on meekly. “And now I’m really hoping that you meant it because if it was just another attempt at shocking me into wakefulness I’m gonna be so disappointed.”  
  
Levi merely holds on to him tighter, and, against all odds, laughs.


	13. "well, this is awkward"

Levi’s in the middle of drinking his morning coffee when a black and white cat struts across the kitchen floor.  
  
Rubbing the traces of sleep out from his eyes, he blinks a few times. The cat disappears behind the corner but Levi’s left staring at the kitchen floor in a daze. He must still be half asleep, because as far as he knows, they do not have a cat. Maybe he shouldn’t drive to work today, just to be on the safe side. Yes, they’d stayed up later than usual last night, engaging in a variety of, ahem, activities, but he would’ve never guessed that losing just a few hours of sleep would result in seeing things.  
  
More coffee. He definitely needs more coffee.   
  
Just as he’s shuffled over to the counter to brew himself an another cup or two, a light rapping sound reaches his ears. At first he brushes it off as the wind knocking tree branches against the side of the house, but once it’s accompanied by a high-pitched meow he freezes in place, turning towards the source of the sound.  
  
There, with its front paws pressed against the glass of their sliding doors that open into the backyard, is a small calico cat.   
  
He stares at the cat for a long time and wonders if it’s too late to just go back to bed and sleep off his delusions. The cat gives an another impatient meow and he moves closer, his hand hovering over the doorhandle. Tentatively, he pulls the door open and the cat stumbles back.   
  
For a tense few moments, they only stare at each other, and as far as delusions go, this one is awfully realistic.  
  
“Go away,” Levi says. “Shoo.”  
  
The cat responds by skulking past him into the house, and when he tries to take a step towards it, it gives a low hiss, ears slanting backwards.   
  
“You don’t even live here,” he tries again, but the cat ignores him and instead starts grooming itself right there in the middle of the kitchen floor like it owns the place.   
  
A flash of white, brown and black at the edge of his vision catches his attention, and as Levi turns to look into the backyard, he spots a third cat jogging across the lawn. This one seems more wary as it notices Levi, sitting down on their patio and watching his every move.   
  
One imaginary cat he could believe, but three are too much.   
  
“Eren,” he calls out feebly, “come here.”  
  
Some rustling can be heard from the direction of the bedroom before Eren’s voice replies, “What, now? I haven’t even showered yet.”  
  
“Yes, right now.” He’s trying very hard not to glare at the cat that’s currently licking its own ass while laying on top of his favorite rug. “There are cats everywhere.”  
  
Those seem to be the magic words since Eren appears in the kitchen doorway in mere seconds. “What are you talking about,” he starts off, and then notices the calico cat licking its own ass. “Oh. That is a cat.” His voice holds guilty edge to it, and slowly, Levi’s starting to connect the dots.  
  
“Eren,” he says, as calm as can be. “You wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with this, would you?”  
  
Eren gives a snort that sounds a little too rehearsed. “Me, no! Why would you think that?”  
  
“You did talk about wanting to get a pet back when we first moved in together a few months ago,” Levi points out, arms crossed over his chest.  
  
“Yeah, but that was all talk. I’ve never even seen these cats before,” Eren claims, but just then, the calico cat stops cleaning itself and gets up, strutting right in his direction. Both of them watch in silence as it rubs itself against Eren’s legs, purring in contentment.  
  
After a moment, Eren gives a long sigh. “Well, this is awkward,” he says almost sadly as he crouches down, raising a hand to pet at the cat. “I guess you want me to get rid of them now?”  
  
“How did you even acquire them in the first place?” Levi asks. As he watches Eren stratch behind the cat’s ears, his hair still mussed from sleep and an oversized t-shirt draped over his frame, he’s struck with the urge to keep both Eren and all these cats here forever.  
  
“They just started showing up, I swear,” Eren says, looking up at him with those honest green eyes. “I was studying outside one morning and eating a snack when one came by, so I gave it something to eat as well. And then it came over again and, uh, brought some of its friends.”  
  
“Okay, just to clarify, how many are there in total?” Levi asks, almost fearing the answer.  
  
“Five,” Eren replies sheepisly. “One of them is pregnant, I think, and since none of them have any collars they’re probably strays, and I couldn’t just stop feeding them, that would be so cruel!”  
  
“So you kept feeding them.” The cat sitting outside inches closer, peeking its head through the door and perking up as it spots Eren. “And now they live here.”  
  
Eren hangs his head in defeat, a few stray hairs escaping from his loose bun and drooping over his face sadly. “Yeah, I know,” he mutters. “I’m gonna stop giving them food now, they’ll probably go elsewhere after a couple of days. I’m sorry.”  
  
Levi’s quiet for a while, but soon he crouches down as well, eyes trained on the calico cat. “What are their names?”   
  
“Huh?” Eren blurts out, looking at him like he’d grown a second head.  
  
“You must have given them names or something,” he goes on, reaching out his hand at the calico. It pays him no mind and goes right back to rubbing itself all over Eren.  
  
“Oh, well, this one’s called Honey, and the one by the door is Mr. Chubbs,” Eren explains cautiously with the most adorable confused look on his face. The wary cat is rather chubby, so Levi can see where the name comes from.  
  
“There was a black and white cat that passed by, as well,” he adds.   
  
“That’s Oreo,” Eren says in a fond tone. “Uh, she likes to take naps in the sock drawer.”  
  
“I see.” They’re silent for a while, but as Levi reaches out to brush the stray hairs off of Eren’s face, he has a billion thoughts running through his head at once. Cats shed and poop and lick themselves, but then again, they apparently make Eren happy, and goodness knows that Levi’s far too weak and can never deny this boy, especially when he looks so dejected as he strokes at Honey’s fur.  
  
“They’re nice,” he finally announces, and Eren’s whole being lights up. “But we have to get them checked out by the vet to make sure they’re not carrying anything. Maybe get them chipped while we’re at it.”  
  
“Are you serious?” Eren asks, his face breaking into a wide grin.   
  
“I am. You better take the offer before I change my mind,” he warns, and in an instant, Eren throws himself at him, arms wrapped tightly around his neck.  
  
“Aw, you’re too good for me,” Eren laughs, and God, Levi will never grow tired of the flowing sound of his laugh. “Thank you so much, they’re gonna be so happy here!”  
  
He winds his arms around Eren and smiles into the fabric of his shirt. “Yeah, same.”


	14. "boo"

The drive over to Eren's place usually takes about fifteen minutes, but tonight he makes it there in only ten. There's no one driving around on Halloween night, of course – instead Levi sees dozens of small ghosts and witches and skeletons finishing up their trick-or-treating and comparing their bounties on the sidewalk. Eren's neighbourhood is already quieting down as he pulls up to the parking lot and turns off the engine, staring at the shadows cast by the bare maple trees.

Damn it, they've been going out for six months now and he's been over at Eren's place a few times before, but it still feels like there's a swarm of carnivorous butterflies fluttering around in his stomach.   
  
Since he doesn't want to show up too early, Levi spends a few moments checking himself out in the mirror. He's practised a variety of cool and seductive expressions to greet Eren with as soon as he opens the door, yet somehow now they all make him look more constipated than anything else. Well, that's still marginally better than the constant resting bitchface he's been told he has going on.  
  
Exactly five minutes later, he's knocking on the door of Eren's apartment, trying to look as calm and collected as he can. A flurry of throughts run through his mind, but as the door finally opens and he sees Eren, it all goes blissfully quiet in his head.  
  
"Boo," he states, leaning on to the doorframe, ready to deliver a witty seasonal one-liner until he registers what Eren is wearing. "Wait, what?"  
  
"Oh, I just got back from Armin's Halloween party," Eren explains with a beaming smile. "It was really fun, you should definitely come along next time, there was a chocolate fountain and everything."  
  
"Yeah," Levi states, eyes flickering over Eren's frame. That's all fine and lovely, but still doesn't explain what Eren's wearing. It looks like an orange puffy tent with a spooky face printed at the front, and to top if off there's an orange and green knitted beanie perched on Eren's head that looks like it might slide off at any given moment. "But, uh, what is it?"  
  
"Exactly what it sounds like, a fountain with chocolate," Eren explains with a roll of his eyes like it's the most obvious thing in the world.   
  
"I meant your outfit," he replies with a raised brow. It's not the spookiest thing he's seen, even though he has to admit that Eren looks pretty cute, even if Levi's not too sure exactly what he's dressed as.   
  
Eren gives him an unimpressed glare. "I'm a pumpkin, of course!" he exclaims, tugging at the orange fabric to spread it out into a more pumpkin-like shape. "See? A scary Halloween pumpkin."  
  
"I'm definitely spooked," Levi intones, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Kinda looks more like a squash, though."  
  
"Says the guy who didn't dress up at all." Eren narrows his eyes at him as he pulls him inside, hands gripping tightly on to the fabric of his jacket. "So boring."  
  
After Levi's taken off his shoes and jacket, he follows Eren into the living room. His arms wind around Eren as if on their own, and as he presses his face into the crook of Eren's neck and breathes in his familiar scent, he distinctly picks up on something that hasn't been there before.  
  
"Are you wearing pumpkin cologne?" Levi questions in an incredulous voice.  
  
Squirming around in his embrace, Eren lets out an awkward laugh. "Pumpkin body mist, actually. I was getting into character and they were giving out free samples of it at the mall, okay?"  
  
"Into the character of a pumpkin," Levi states. Damn it, he doesn't even know what to do with this boy who's far too precious and endearing for his own good. "Alright. I can respect that."  
  
Eren merely laughs and swats at him absent-mindedly before worming out from his grasp. "Anyway, I'm gonna change out of these." Now the beanie is definitely slipping off, but he grabs it before it falls off completely. "Make yourself right at home, there's some snacks and drinks in the fridge."  
  
"You could wear it the whole night, I wouldn't mind," he answers as he plops down on the sofa. "The hat's a pretty nice detail."  
  
"Oh. Thanks. I made it myself, actually," comes Eren's sheepish response from the direction of the bedroom. "Jean said it looked kinda dumb, though."  
  
"Well, fuck Jean, whoever he is," Levi states resolutely, his composure crumbling a little at the thought of some jackass referring to his boyfriend – or his hat, for that matter – as dumb. "I think it's great."   
  
"You're just saying that." There's a light edge in Eren's voice and Levi can almost imagine the light pink shade dusted over his cheeks – Eren has the habit of getting adorably flustered over the smallest of compliments, something that Levi takes advantage of at every given opportunity.   
  
"Shush, you." The idea's just beginning to form in his head, so his words come out a little hesitant at first. "I didn't even know you knit. You should make me a hat as well."  
  
There's a moment of silence, after which Eren's head pokes in through the doorway, a puzzled expression on his face. "Wait, really? You'd wear it?"  
  
"Of course," Levi says solemnly, his heart almost skipping a beat at the thought of owning something lovingly handmade by Eren. "We could have matching ones."  
  
A goofy smile spreads on Eren's features as he steps out again, this time dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. "Christmas is coming up soon, so why not?" he intones as he settles down on the sofa next to Levi, pressing against his side. "How sweet of you to say that." He plants a light kiss to Levi's cheek, lips curving into a shy smile, and suddenly Levi's already looking forward to Christmas.

 


	15. "i almost lost you"

The first thing that catches Levi by surprise is the fact that it's really damn cold. Yes, he'd checked out the weather forecast beforehand, but nothing could have prepared him for the chilly Dresden winter. The biting wind burrows in through his clothes no matter how much he tries to bundle up before stepping outside. And there's _snow_ outside, actual, real snow that gets into your shoes and soaks up your socks.   
  
Eren merely laughs at his complaints. "You have to dress in layers," he advises. "First a t-shirt, then a sweater and maybe a hoodie on top of that, too. If you want you can borrow some of my clothes, they're probably warmer."  
  
Speaking of which, the second thing that Levi cannot get over is Eren. He's seen numerous pictures of Eren, along with live video during their many late night Skype sessions, but having the real deal in front of him is so different from just staring at the pixels on the screen. None of the pictures or even the video had quite captured the brilliant green of his eyes or the way he smiled not with just his face but his entire damn being, consequently turning Levi into a puddle of goo every single time.  
  
For the whole week that Levi's prepared to stay over, he wouldn't mind spending each waking moment just studying Eren's face, and perhaps other parts of him, as well. When he brings up this suggestion, Eren flushes deliciously red and throws the woollen scarf he's holding right at Levi's face.  
  
"Staying cooped up inside during your entire Christmas holiday is not healthy," he huffs as he pulls on his jacket. "It's your first time in Germany, there are so many better attractions here than me."  
  
"Not really," Levi replies with a tiny smirk, but winds the scarf around his neck anyway. It smells faintly of Eren and he tugs it up higher to shield himself from the cold that's waiting right outside the door. "I'd much rather look at you than some boring old castles."   
  
There's a hint of a smile playing across Eren's lips as he states, "Well, luckily that's not where we're going." He cracks the apartment door open, glancing back at Levi over his shoulder. "Let's go. You have your gloves and hat on, right?"  
  
Thanks to his horrible preparation for the trip, Levi's had to borrow quite a number of Eren's clothes, including the warm gloves and hat he's currently wearing, as well as the scarf and a sweater. However, now that he's properly clothed it's not really that cold outside, especially as they're walking along side by side with Eren pointing out various streets and shop fronts. He happens to live right at the town center, which means a lot of cozy coffee shops and quirky little stores nearby. It's easy to imagine Eren living his day-to-day life here, thousands of miles away yet occupying Levi's thoughts far too often.  
  
Their short walk ends at the marketplace that's currently filled with people milling in between the various stalls set up in neat rows. There are lights and decorations hung up everywhere with real spruce trees dotting the scenery. Even from here, Levi picks up on the faint scent of clove and cinnamon wafting in the air.  
  
"Our city organizes this Christmas market every year, but it seems they've really outdone themselves this time around," Eren remarks as they join the crowd. Under the soft glow of the countless lights, he somehow manages to look even more breathtaking than before. "Are you cold? I can get us something warm to drink."  
  
"Sure," Levi agrees absent-mindedly, his gaze flitting over the stalls set next to another as Eren turns towards the rosy-cheeked old woman serving up large cups of hot chocolate, mulled wine and other beverages. There's a stall where you can buy gingerbread cookies and some kind of toasted almonds, and also a stall selling what looks like sausages and whole pig carcasses. That would sure make for a nice souvenir.  
  
It seems that Eren and the woman know each other from somewhere since they're engaged in a lively conversation, naturally in German. Despite of his best attempts to learn the language, Levi does not understand a word they're saying. In his defence, they're both talking pretty fast, not to mention that Levi's getting kind of distracted by the shiny trinkets and dancing Santas a few stalls down.   
  
Hesitantly, he leaves Eren's side, slinking off along the path. He's just gonna take a look around, surely Eren wouldn't mind. Besides, he's only a couple of stalls away.   
  
In addition to the dancing Santas, there are also dancing reindeer and creatures that vaguely resemble gnomes or trolls of somesort, all of them happily jiggling to the tune of Jingle Bells. They're the kind of decorations you could buy from any Wal-mart back home, but here they seem more festive and jolly than irritating.   
  
In fact, everything just seems better here. Maybe it's because of Eren, he wonders as he moves to take a look at the loaves of fresh bread stacked on top of one another with nuts and raisins baked into the dough. That boy is an actual angel, so it would make sense that wherever he goes, he brings with him all the brightness and beauty to light even the darkest places.   
  
There's a stall selling handcrafted wooden bracelets and earrings, just the kind of thing Isabel might like, so he stops to take a closer look. The salesperson restocking one of the displays gives him a kind smile and says something to him in German, causing Levi to look up like a deer caught in the headlights.  
  
"Uh, entschuldigen, ich spreche nicht Deutsch," he stammers with a stiff wave of his hand, suddenly forgetting every single German phrase he's ever learned. It's one thing to practise small talk with Eren, but for someone as socially awkward as Levi, talking with a complete stranger in German is a whole different thing.   
  
The salesperson seems understanding enough, nodding and saying something else before returning to their work and thankfully allowing Levi to browse in piece. Granted, he hadn't told his sister the exact reason for his trip to Germany, so he figured that he sort of owed her something nice. Just as he's trying to make his mind up between the dark wooden bracelet and the lighter one with delicate swirls carved along its length, he hears a disgrunted voice call out from behind him.  
  
"There you are!" Eren dashes to his side, concern written all over his features. "Don't go wandering off like that. I almost lost you."  
  
"Oh," Levi states, and it isn't until now that he realizes he's gone a little further away than just a few stalls. "Sorry, I was looking at things."  
  
"Here. I wasn't sure what you wanted so I just got you mulled wine," Eren says, handing him one of the cups he's holding. "Careful, it's hot."  
  
It is, but it's also sweet and spicy, the alcohol giving the drink a slight kick, he notes as he takes a tentative sip. "Thanks," Levi states, his whole chest suddenly hot and not just from the wine because Eren's just grasped on to his free hand with determined fingers.   
  
"We should probably hold hands, just in case," Eren explains, a light flush creeping over his cheeks. "So that you don't get lost again."  
  
"I wasn't lost," Levi replies with a laugh but still holds on tighter, relishing in the warmth of feeling Eren's hand in his at long last.  
  



	16. "i've seen the way you look at me when you think i don't notice"

Levi’s just in the middle of doing the dishes when a loud knock sounds from the door.  
  
The intruding noise echoes through the otherwise quiet apartment and makes him stop dead in his tracks as the wet plate he’s holding slips free from his fingers and back into the sink. It’s a rare day off for him, so he’d planned to spend it blissfully undisturbed, but apparently the person at his door has decided otherwise. The knocking persists as he moves to dry his hands, cussing under his breath.   
  
As soon as he strides over to the door and sees Eren’s irritated face through the peephole, he knows he’s so utterly fucked.   
  
_No. No, no, no_ , he chants in his head as he leans his forehead against the door, swatting away the tiny floating heart that had appeared at the mere sight of Eren. Maybe if he just stays really still and pretends he’s not home Eren will go away.  
  
“Levi! Open this door right now,” his voice sounds from the other side, laced with irritation. Levi blows out the long breath he’s been holding in, his hand coming to rest over the door handle as he looks at Eren again. His cheeks are dusted with a light pink shade and there are a few lingering snowflakes clinging on to the collar of his jacket. If it weren’t for the sour look on his features and the frighteningly determined curve of his mouth, Levi’s pretty sure he could keep staring at him all day.  
  
However, he can’t, since it seems like Eren’s about to kick down his door any minute now. He slams his fist against the sturdy wooden surface and causes Levi to jump back. “I know you’re in there, I’ve got all fucking day to stand out here,” he warns, and something in his voice says that he’s completely serious.  
  
Finally, Levi sets his mouth into a thin line and waits for the hearts to dissipate before cracking the door open just slightly.  
  
“I’m sick. Don’t come in,” he lies, but those words have barely left him before Eren’s yanking the door open.  
  
“What the fuck is your problem?” Eren spits out from between clenched teeth, glaring daggers at him. “You’ve been ignoring me for three weeks.”  
  
“No, I haven’t,” he lies, staring resolutely at his own feet. All that’s going through his head is the damn hearts, those little fuckers that had started popping up almost exactly three weeks ago whenever he as much as heard the sound of Eren’s flowing laughter or caught a glimpse of his smile. “I’m just not feeling well, that’s all.”  
  
“I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I don’t notice,” Eren says then, and Levi swears that all the air in his lungs suddenly leaves him.   
  
“It’s not-” he starts off, but Eren interrupts him with a swift wave of his hand.   
  
“Like I’m a damn flesh-eating slug or something. Like it’s killing you just to be in the same room with me,” he says, voice tinged with such hopeless sadness that Levi feels a wave of guilt wash over him.   
  
_It’s not like that at all,_ he wants to say, in fact, it’s the exact opposite. Every single moment he has to spend with Eren’s he’s so damn afraid that those hearts will betray his affection for his friend and ruin everything between them. Every single moment, he’s fucking suffocating with the amount of wild, raw love that must always remain hidden.  
  
“You’re just imagining it,” he states, a strained edge in his voice. He’s still examining his own socks like they’re the most important thing in the world, because he’s sure that if he takes one look at Eren’s face he’ll blurt out everything. “You should go.”  
  
“No!” Eren snaps, reaching out to grab Levi by his shoulders and taking a step forward. “Look at me!”   
  
His pulse pounding in his ears, he tries to squirm out from Eren’s hold, but it does little to no good. Even worse, Eren grabs on to his jaw and forces Levi to meet his eyes, and damn it, the boy looks so broken. His beautiful emerald eyes are full of both rage and sorrow, searching out Levi’s face for something, anything, that would explain this sudden distance that’s come between them.  
  
He’s so close, Levi realizes just now. So close that he can count each one of the light freckles dotted over Eren’s cheeks.  
  
To his horror, he catches a glimpse of something red, smokey and distinctly heart-shaped from the corner of his eye.  _Go away_ , he tries to tell it, still captivated by Eren’s face so close to his, but it’s too late now because Eren’s mouth drops open in shock, his gaze fixed on to the hearts floating next to Levi’s head.   
  
“What,” he starts off, eyes adorably wide. “Me?”  
  
“You should go,” Levi repeats, so mortified that he cannot even move. The worst has happened and he’s fucked up irreversibly, so what else is there to say?  
  
Then, instead of pushing him away, Eren pulls him close and rests their foreheads together, a small laugh leaving him. “You’re such an idiot,” he sighs. Just before he seals their lips together in a kiss, Levi’s sure he sees an another floating heart, different from his both in shape and consistensy, more fluffy than smokey, appear out of thin air, and just like that, all his concerns are gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls take a look at this amazing au that this is from: http://cinthmp.tumblr.com/tagged/floaty+hearts+au


	17. "just once"

Eren’s making the most ridiculous pouting face at him, lips drawing into a frown after he’s swallowed down the remains of his doughnut. “Come on. Just once,” he says, his arm coming to rest over the back of Levi’s chair, so damn close that he can feel the comforting warmth rolling off of him. 

“I thought this was supposed to be a study date,” Levi replies dryly, his voice hitching up just a bit at that last word. They’re on _date_. Him and Eren. It’s such an unbelievable scenario that Levi’s sure he’ll wake up from this beautiful dream any moment now.   
  
“Exactly, and I’ve been studying so hard that you should probably give me a little reward,” Eren says in a sing-song voice, tapping at his lips with his index finger. “Just one tiny kiss.”  
  
Glancing at the numerous books piled on the table in front of them, Levi has to admit that both of them have been working pretty diligently. But still, they’re in public, for fuck’s sake, and while he doesn’t mind kissing Eren in the privacy of his apartment, doing so in their favourite coffee shop is a whole different matter.   
  
However, it’s not like they’re keeping their relationship hidden all that well – as Levi looks back at Eren, there are a couple of round, soft hearts floating in the space between them like little clouds. He’s noticed by now that Eren’s the type who emits hearts at the drop of a hat, but even so he can’t help but to feel amused.  
  
“You’re so embarrassing,” he mutters with a dumb smile, swatting them away. Eren’s looking at him with such fond affection that he feels his cheeks heat up with a slight blush. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in a public place. Mind your hearts a little.”  
  
“Sorry,” Eren replies sheepishly, looking off to the side. “I just like spending time with you, even if it’s something not all that fun like studying.”  
  
By now Levi’s face is burning and he has to hide it in his hands in order to get himself together. “Eren. You can’t say things like that so casually, you’re gonna kill me,” he groans, so damn happy that he can barely sit still, every cell in his body thrumming with nervous excitement. Eren likes spending time with him, and, oh crap, even better, Eren likes  _him_. He doesn’t have to look up to know that there’s probably a heart of his own floating around now.  
  
“Sorry,” he hears Eren repeat, and that smug asshole sounds like he’s not sorry at all. In fact, his arm has now snaked around Levi’s shoulders, pulling him in closer.  
  
“Someone’s gonna see,” Levi points out, finally glancing up, and he’s instantly rendered speechless by the warm, loving look in Eren’s eyes.  
  
“Oh, please,” Eren laughs, and it’s such a safe and familiar sound, sending shivers along Levi’s back. “There’s barely any customers and this is the most secluded table here.” He nods towards the large column by their spot that just so happens to be blocking the view to the front of the shop. “And if they do see, who cares?”  
  
“I care. Kind of.” This thing between them is still so new, and Levi’s sure he’s gonna fuck it all up soon. However, as he meets Eren’s honest gaze, he thinks that maybe taking the risk will be worth it in the end.   
  
Though he’d told Eren to mind his hearts, he clearly hadn’t listened, since there are now plenty of them floating next to and above their heads, far too many for Levi to wave off. “You are so embarrassing,” he states with a nod towards the multitude of fluffy hearts.   
  
“It’s all your fault. Stop being so lovely,” Eren replies with a grin, and, in an instant, Levi can think about a million reasons to disagree. He’s awkward and uninteresting and horrible with romance, and, in fact, lovely is the last word he’d ever use to describe himself.   
  
Apparently Eren notices the slight shift in his expression because he presses a finger to Levi’s lips, effectively putting his scrambling thoughts to a halt. “Shush. You are lovely,” he says, eyes flickering over Levi’s body appreciatively. “Come on, darling. Just one kiss.”  
  
Even though he knows full well it probably won’t end with just one, Levi gives in, allowing his eyes to close as their lips meet in a chaste kiss, The last thing he sees are both of their hearts, his delicate and slender, Eren’s more rounded and full of sweet softness, floating next to another as if they’d always belonged together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls take a look at this amazing au that this is from: http://cinthmp.tumblr.com/tagged/floaty+hearts+au


	18. "kiss me" + "looks like we'll be stuck in here for a while"

The sound of the wind howling outside is what rouses him from his sleep, but what ultimately drives him to drag himself out of bed is the distinct lack of a warm Eren next to him.

Winding the duvet tighter around him, he shuffles into the kitchen where he's greeted by a familiar smile and a steaming mug of tea handed to him. "Don't even think about going to class today, the roads are completely blocked," Eren states, pressing a light kiss against his forehead, and in an instant, Levi's wide awake.

"The roads are what, now?" he yawns, glancing at Eren in disbelief.

"Go look for yourself," Eren replies with a nod towards the kitchen window. His hair is still disheveled from sleep and there's one particularly cute tuft sticking up right at the top of his head that Levi feels compelled to pull on just a little. "Pancakes or omelettes for breakfast?"

"Both?" he suggests as he wanders into the kitchen and peeks outside, eyes widening at what he sees. "Whoah."

"Told you," Eren's voice sounds from behind him. "Looks like we'll be trapped in here for a while."

There's snow everywhere he looks, thick, freshly fallen snow piled on top of cars and buildings. From here he can make out a few emergency vehicles further down the street, but other than that, all is completely silent, except for the shrill noise of the wind rattling the window panes and roof tiles above.

As it turns out, the whole city's come to a standstill due to the several feet of snow that have accumulated overnight and, in fact, there's still more of the stuff falling from the sky. That, along with the harsh wind, has rendered going outside impossible. While Levi's kind of dismayed that he'll have to miss class, at least he's not the only one.

It isn't until a few hours later that the cold starts to creep in, and at first Levi just blames it on his apartment. He lives in an old building, okay, so of course the insulation's not all that great. Even so, Eren keeps insisting that something's off, his beautiful and oh-so-persuasive emerald eyes coaxing Levi to at last check out the old boiler in the basement that provides heat for the whole building.

When he goes and does just that, he finds that there might just be something off.

A whole flock of tenants has gathered by the lukewarm boiler that seems to have met its end, letting out faint wheezing sounds every now and then. One of Levi's neighbors informs him that she's already called the landlord about it, but due to the storm raging outside, there's little to no chance of getting their heating fixed before the weather calms down.

"Well, at least the power hasn't gone out yet," she chirps in her usual overly optimistic manner, and as soon as she's finished that sentence, Levi half-expects the lights above them to flicker and die out. Luckily, they don't, and as he bids farewell to his grumbling neighbors and climbs back up the stairs to his apartment, he can't help but to wonder how much colder it would feel if he didn't have Eren waiting for him.

Speaking of which, when he re-enters the apartment, he discovers that Eren's amassed all of his blankets and several pillows and is currently shaping them into what looks like a rather comfortable nest on the couch.

"The boiler's fucked, so there's no heat in the whole building," Levi announces with a sigh as he plops down next to Eren, and in an instant, there's a pair of strong arms winding their way around his waist.

"Told you something was wrong," Eren states, nuzzling at his cheek. “We’re gonna have to huddle for warmth.”

“I do have a fireplace, though,” Levi points out, amusement laced in his voice.

“Huddling,” Eren repeats as he latches on to him tighter, draping one of the soft blankets over the two of them. “It’s the only way.”

Huddling it is, then, not that Levi minds in the slightest. Eren’s pleasantly soft and pliant against him, not to mention that he’s pretty much a human furnace with his absurdly high body temperature. Today he seems to be even more affectionate than usual, tracing abstract patterns over Levi’s knuckles as he holds on to his hand and lightly brushes his lips over his collarbone.

“Kiss me.” It’s spoken in a quiet yet determined voice, and Eren’s already tilting his head in anticipation, so of course Levi gives in and plants a chaste kiss on his lips. That only seems to make his boyfriend more frustrated, though. “No, I mean like a proper kiss.”

“So demanding,” Levi complains with mock annoyance as he leans in to capture Eren’s lips again, this time more firmly, his tongue sweeping over Eren’s. Before he can even think about pulling away, Eren’s hand is trailing its way under his shirt, one leg looping over his possessively. Soon enough he’s shifting against Levi in tiny yet purposeful motions that imply he might be after more than just one innocent kiss.

“I’m still kind of cold. Maybe you should do something about it,” Eren all but purrs into his mouth, eyes lidded and alight with desire.

After a moment of thinking, Levi grabs a second blanket and wraps it around Eren’s shoulders. “Better?” he questions with an amused quirk of his brows, and Eren’s lips curl downwards into a frown.

“No, come on, you know what I mean,” he mutters, still in such a delicious low tone that it would be so easy to give in, because of course Levi knows what he means, but there’s something so irresistible about teasing Eren and getting him flustered.

“I’m afraid I don’t. You’re gonna have to use your words like a good boy,” he replies, and those two magic words make something restless flicker over Eren’s face.

“Touch me?” he requests, a little apprehensive.

“I am touching you,” Levi claims from where his arms are wrapped around Eren’s shoulders, stroking along his neck to emphasize his point. Try as he might, he cannot stop the tiny grin from rising to his features as he watches Eren fidget around in his embrace. Judging from the light flush settled over his cheeks and the charming little downwards quirk of his lips, he’s growing more frustrated by the moment.

“No, like, downstairs,” he goes on with a determined edge in his voice, pressing closer to Levi in a way that makes the growing hardness in his pants rather obvious.

“But there’s no-one living in the apartment below mine right now,” Levi replies, going for the most innocent tone he can manage even though he’s so very tempted to give in and grant Eren with anything and everything he wishes. It’s even harder to resist now when there’s such a lovely blush blooming over his face and those gorgeous green eyes staring at him are full of both fondness and irritation.

“You’re horrible,” Eren states bluntly, brows knitting together as he gives Levi a light poke at his side. “So cruel.”

“Me? Never.” He presses an apologetic kiss against Eren’s jaw and moves to trail idle touches along the wide expanse of his back, his sweater pleasantly soft and fuzzy under Levi’s fingertips. “You should be more straightforward. I thought we were just going to huddle.”

“Well, they say it’s more effective when you do it without wearing any clothes,” Eren purrs, his hands crawling their way under Levi’s shirt

While Eren’s busy sucking hickeys on to his neck, he asks, “Do you think we should move to the bedroom?”

“Don’t wanna. It’s so nice and comfy here,” Eren mumbles as his touch roams over Levi’s abs briefly before dipping down to undo his fly. “But I definitely think we should get naked. Just to conserve body heat more efficiently.”

It’s a pretty good suggestion, so soon enough Levi finds himself trying to wriggle out of his pants while still holding Eren in his lap. The task is made even more difficult by the fact that Eren’s attempting to rid himself of his own clothes at the same time, nearly falling off the couch in the process. With a bit of breathless giggling and a few pillows being tossed aside, they’re finally skin to skin with nothing in between them, wrapped up in both the blankets and each other. It is warmer than before, Levi has to admit, though that might have something to do with how deliciously Eren’s shifting against him, hands gripping on to his shoulders to steady himself.

“Condoms and lube are in the bedroom, though,” he points out when Eren rubs his hand over his hardening cock.

“There’s some between the cushions,” Eren replies, burying his face in the crook of his neck and giving a slow lick at his jugular. Though Levi can’t see his expression from here, he does pick up on the faint redness blooming over his ears.

To his surprise, he does indeed find both lube and condoms stashed under the cushions of the couch. He could’ve sworn that’s not where they usually keep them, and after some prodding, Eren admits that he may have prepared in advance a little, just in case.

“You little sneak, you,” Levi hums, running his hands down along his sides in ticklish motions. His fingers skim over each curve and contour of those firm muscles that tremble under his touch so beautifully. “It is kind of romantic, though. You and me in a nest of blankets.”

Eren all but glows at that comment. “I know, right? I’m kind of glad we got snowed in now.” There’s a playful edge creeping into his voice as he goes on, “I get to have to you all to myself for the whole day.”

“You can have me any time you want, dear,” he replies, and fucking hell, that sounds so sappy, especially when he can’t hide the openly adoring and positively lovesick tone from his voice.

Luckily Eren doesn’t seem to mind it, licking wet little stripes along his jaw, which, in hindsight, should be kind of weird because it reminds Levi of a cat or some other small animal marking its territory. It feels pretty nice, though, especially when he reaches to scratch his fingers through Levi’s undercut and mutters against his cheek, “Good. I think I wanna have you for the rest of my life. Would that be okay?”

“More than okay.” He kisses Eren’s hair, inhaling the pleasant scent of his apple shampoo. Even though he’s touched over Eren’s naked skin dozens of times now, he’ll never stop admiring how gorgeous his tan complexion and the slight fullness in his thighs are, not to mention how nicely those soft, round buttocks fit into his hands as he reaches down to cup Eren’s ass. “You’re too sweet, you know that? Such a darling.”  
  
Though it’s spoken in a casual tone, Eren still shivers a little at the compliment. “Yeah, well,” he starts off, the rest of his sentence turning into a breathy gasp as Levi slides his fingers down along the cleft of his ass, stopping just short of his hole.   
  
“Eager, aren’t we?” he comments after feeling Eren wriggle around in order to get him to touch him just right. “If you want something you should probably say so.”   
  
“You know what I want,” Eren nearly growls, pulling at his hair lightly.   
  
“I’m a simple man,” he insists with a tilt of his head, a tiny grin rising to his features. “You’ll have to elaborate.”   
  
There’s a lovely shade of red tinting Eren’s cheeks as he gives a huff, fidgeting in Levi’s embrace. “See, I told you. So cruel,” he repeats, and that pouting face is far too adorable so it’s no wonder that Levi simply has to close the distance between them to plant a kiss at Eren’s nose. “You just enjoy tormenting me.”   
  
“I really do,” Levi admits without even trying to hide the amusement in his voice. It’s not like he can keep it going forever, though, especially when Eren’s squirming around so much and coincidentally rubbing himself up against a very sensitive part of his anatomy. He reaches for the lube and Eren perks up instantly. “You just look so handsome when you’re all flustered and indignant.”

“Am I not handsome all the time?” It’s spoken in a coy, teasing tone, and when paired with the almost pleading look in Eren’s lidded eyes that all but screams _please give me more compliments_ , how could Levi even think about denying him?   
  
“You are,” he admits as he coats his fingers with lube, bringing them back to linger by Eren’s ass. “You’re the most gorgeous, breathtaking little thing I’ve ever seen.” His voice hitches up slightly at the last few words and he grips on to Eren tighter, moving to brush over his asshole in what’s only a faint touch.   
  
Eren hums in delight, his lips curving up into a satisfied smile. “Really?” he mutters, nosing at the side of Levi’s face affectionately. “Now look who’s being the sweet one.”   
  
“You love it,” Levi states, and, without giving Eren a chance to respond, eases a finger inside of him, relishing in the tiny gasp he lets out at that. With his mouth skimming along Eren’s neck, he asks, “You okay, darling?”   
  
“Yeah, it’s fine, you could probably put in a second one already,” Eren breathes out, eyes falling closed as he winds his arms loosely around Levi’s neck. They’d been up late last night and though Eren’s still pretty stretched out from their various activities, Levi moves slowly, pressing against his walls with just a single digit.   
  
“There’s no rush,” he replies in a quiet, focused voice, a second finger coming to tease at the rim of Eren’s hole. Try as he might, he cannot tear his stare away from Eren’s face, his eyes closed and those thick, dark lashes fanning out against flushed skin, brows slightly creased in concentration. Eren really is beautiful, especially like this, and he feels a fierce wave of protectiveness wash over him as he pulls Eren flush against his body, slotting their lips together in a slow kiss.   
  
Eren’s mouth opens easily under him, and Levi thinks he hears him give a faint moan at the back of his throat. Though maybe a little sloppy, he really is as eager as ever, his tongue skidding over Levi’s teeth restlessly as he cranes his head a bit to get in even deeper. Levi can feel him buzzing with a sort of anxious energy, and when he rubs that second finger along the rim of his hole, nudging inside with just the tip, Eren lets out a frustrated little noise. 

“Don’t tease. That’s not nice,” he nearly whines against Levi’s mouth when they part. His lips are enticingly puffy and wet, and with his teeth biting on to his lower lip like he’s holding back a pout, Levi can’t resist giving him an another kiss, though Eren soon draws back. “You should just give it to me already.”  
  
“But I like teasing you. You make the prettiest faces,” he states, and, as if to prove his point, strokes slowly along the outside of Eren’s hole, feeling him clench up in anticipation. There’s such a lovely look of frustration etched on his features, and the blush on his face only deepens when Levi thumbs over the head of his cock with his other hand, smearing precome along his length. “And you probably like it, too, since you’ve gotten so hard already even though I’ve barely touched you.”   
  
“You should probably touch me more,” Eren suggests but doesn’t disagree, merely rocking back a little. “Please?”   
  
That’s the magic word, so Levi plants a kiss on Eren’s cheek to show his appreciation. “Good boy, there you go,” he drawls, at last fully easing the second finger inside. It’s a slightly tighter fit so he’s careful to go as gently as possible, stroking around Eren’s most sensitive spots in slow circles. When he finally happens to graze over his prostate, he’s rewarded with a choked groan. “Here?”   
  
Eren gives a shaky nod from where he’s buried his face in Levi’s shoulder, and while it does feel really nice to have Eren clinging on to him, that does not constitute a proper answer.   
  
Pressing down more firmly at the head of his cock, Levi demands, “Look at me, Eren.” After Eren draws back to shyly lock eyes with him, his expression so openly yearning and vulnerable, how could Levi do anything else than reward him?   
  
“There you go, there’s my good boy,” he whispers, rubbing over his shaft lightly. “What do you want?”   
  
“I don’t know,” Eren rasps out, hands gripping on to Levi’s shoulders almost desperately. “Can you do that again? Please?”   
  
“Oh? This?” He rubs over Eren’s prostate again, this time applying constant pressure as he brushes a third finger along the stretched rim of his hole. “Does it feel good?”   
  
Though Eren can’t quite hold his intense stare, eyes falling closed as he takes a shaky breath, Levi can tell that he’s trying so, _so_ hard. “Yeah, it does. Please.” He breaks off into a low moan as Levi gives his cock a languid stroke.   
  
“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” he assures, trailing kisses along the curve of Eren’s jaw. He’s shivering a little in Levi’s arms, nails digging into the skin of his shoulders. With a gentle nudge, he reminds Eren, “Use your words.”   
  
“I really want you,” Eren mutters, sounding so damn wrecked as Levi slides a third finger inside him. He stills just then, and Levi can tell he’s willing himself to relax. One hand lightly stroking over Levi’s cheek, he blurts out, “I love you so much, you always treat me so well. Except for being such a damn tease.”   
  
“Of course, darling. Only the best for you.” There’s a strange tightness coiling in his chest and making his breath catch in his throat as he gazes into those honest emerald eyes that are brimming with such overwhelming adoration. “You’re so lovely and sweet, you deserve all the kindness in the world.”

“More,” Eren pleads, his voice barely a whisper as he shifts around in Levi’s lap. “Please.”

He kisses along the side of Eren’s face, all the while stretching him out as gently as he can. They’ve been together for a while now so he knows exactly where and how Eren likes to be touched, but even so, he takes his time feeling around inside him. It’s making Eren even more frustrated, he can tell - he’s trying to angle his hips just right in order to take his fingers in deeper and get them to brush against his prostate, concentration etched on his features.

“My Eren, so gorgeous. I’d do anything for you.” He kisses Eren, slow and thorough, and after they part, goes on, “How are you feeling? Tell me.”  
  
It takes a bit of coaxing and some whispered praises before Eren manages to form a complete sentence. “Fuck, it’s amazing,” he groans, bucking into Levi’s touch as he strokes along the full length of Eren’s cock. “I really need you in me, though.” It’s said in a hushed, heated voice, and the look in Eren’s eyes is verging on carnal as he reaches down to wrap his fingers around Levi’s cock.   
  
“I don’t want to hurt you, love,” Levi mutters, letting out a small groan when Eren decides to trace along the side of his shaft. “You feel so tight back here.” To emphasize his point, he spreads out his fingers just a little wider, his thumb sweeping over the sensitive ring of muscle.   
  
“It’s fine,” Eren breathes out, a tiny smile lingering on his face. “I know you don’t, you’re always really gentle with me. And I love it.” He leans forward and closes the distance between them, brushing his lips over Levi’s in a chaste little kiss  so achingly sweet that Levi can feel the last few traces of his patience melting away.   
  
“Have you been good enough, Eren?” he asks in a hoarse voice, retracting his fingers and prompting a disappointed whine from Eren.   
  
“I don’t know,” he states, brows knitting together as he shifts around, looking more than a little frazzled.   
  
“You have,” Levi purrs, grasping at the lovely softness of his buttocks while he maneuvers them into a better position, his cock coming to rub over the cleft of Eren’s ass. “You’ve been so patient, darling, so good for me.”   
  
Eren shivers, his hands gripping on to Levi’s shoulders. “Oh,” he mutters, a glazed look in his eyes. “I have?”   
  
“Of course you have,” he states firmly, positioning himself right at Eren’s hole. His hands glide over Eren’s skin and map out the toned muscles of his back, and damn, this is really all his. He’s the only one who gets to see Eren like this, flushed and trembling with need, such a beautiful, perfect sight that he’ll never grow tired of admiring. “You’re my good boy, Eren, so sweet and lovely. Are you ready?”   
  
“Yeah. Finally,” Eren sighs, leaning forward to suck a few hickeys into Levi’s neck, and though Levi’s told him dozens of times not to leave so many marks, once again he cannot bring himself to care.   
  
Instead he steadies Eren by his back with one hand, using the other to guide his cock into that deliciously tight heat. He’d been pretty thorough opening Eren up, so it goes inside without much trouble, especially when Eren decides to sink down on it in one smooth motion, letting out a choked groan after he’s gotten all of it inside.   
  
“There’s no hurry, love,” Levi reminds him, and is about to go on but Eren chooses that exact moment to give an experimental roll of his hips, drawing a low moan from him.   
  
“But I want you,” Eren mutters with a tiny pout, his hands coming up to cradle Levi’s face. “You’ve been teasing me for so long, I can’t help but to be a little greedy.”   
  
“It’s fine, I just don’t want you to hurt yourself,” he replies, kneading at the supple flesh of his ass idly. “Are you doing okay?” It feels pleasantly tight and warm, and with the way Eren’s moving around restlessly it’s taking a whole lot of restraint to keep from mindlessly pounding into him. But he doesn’t want to cause Eren any discomfort, he never wants to see that a pained expression on that gorgeous face and never wants to make him cry, unless it’s from pure blinding pleasure.   
  
“A whole lot better now that you’re finally in me,” Eren murmurs, a wicked glint in his eye as he tightens himself around Levi. “You always fill me up just right, it’s not nearly as nice with just fingers.”   
  
He literally _cannot deal_ with Eren talking dirty, so to avoid blowing his load right there and then, he thrusts upwards sharply, and judging by Eren’s wide-eyed reaction, hits just the right spot. “Oh? Does it feel good?” he asks with mock innocence, his hand coming to stroke over Eren’s cock that’s dribbling out precome on to his stomach. “You look like you’re enjoying it. So pretty, Eren.”   
  
They move together slowly, falling into a perfect rhythm amongst whispered praises and deep kisses. The blankets have fallen to a heap on the floor but neither one of them mind because it’s so much warmer like this with skin on skin, scorching heat pooling at the pit of Levi’s stomach when he looks at Eren’s blissful face.   
  
Eren’s the one to come first, as usual. He’s always so eager and responsive, but even as he’s arching back and shaking with the urge to release, he looks to Levi, eyes silently asking for permission, for reassurance that he’s been good enough, and of course Levi grants it, every single time. Eren’s not just good, he’s perfect, flawless, the most beautiful creature he’s ever seen, and Levi whispers all of this to him as he strokes him to completion.   
  
His own orgasm follows soon after, brought on partially by the lovely fucked-out expression on Eren’s face and partially by the maddening way his ass is clenching down on Levi’s cock. With his face buried in Eren’s neck and still mouthing inaudible praises against his skin, he comes, gripping on to Eren’s hips so hard it’ll surely leave bruises, completely disregarding his own rule about not leaving marks. It’s not like anyone else will notice, though, because he’s the only one allowed to see Eren in such a state of undress, and even if someone happens to catch a glimpse, all the better - they’ll know that Eren is his and his only.   
  
Afterwards Eren lays on top of him, nuzzling contentedly into his neck with his fingers scratching along his undercut in featherlight touches. There’s a happy little smile on his face that suggests he’s not planning on moving for a good while, but Levi pokes at him anyway.   
  
“We should go clean up,” he starts off, only to be interrupted by Eren letting out a long, displeased groan.   
  
“No. We have to huddle,” he says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s what you do in situations like this.”   
  
“You’ll complain later about being all gross and sticky,” Levi points out, because Eren probably will, though more fondly and maybe with a teasing smile.   
  
“Yeah, but huddling first. It’s cold,” he mutters, and from the bleary edge creeping into his voice Levi can tell that he plans on taking a nap right there and then.   
  
Since he has no other choice, he reaches for one of the blankets on the floor, draping it over the both of them. It’s more than warm enough now, and with Eren pressed up against him looking so damn pleased, Levi thinks that maybe cleaning up can wait for just a while.


	19. eat you up

He’d thought it to be an odd idea at first, but by each passing moment it’s starting to sound more and more appealing. In the dim light of their bedroom with countless candles strewn across every surface and soft, luxurious sheets caressing at the skin of his back, Eren’s feeling only a little apprehensive. Especially now that Levi’s finally rid both of them of their clothes and is holding on him like he’s the most precious thing in the world, he can’t help but to feel anything other than so utterly safe and cherished.

“You’re such a romantic,” he breathes out in between tiny, chaste kisses, letting out a faint giggle when Levi runs his hand along his stomach in a ticklish motion.

“And whose fault is that?” Levi murmurs against his lips. As he draws back he's smiling, actually smiling and looking at Eren with such gentle fondness that it’s making him shiver. “Maybe if you weren’t so damn lovely all the time I could at least pretend I’m not a total sap for you.”

There’s a shy grin playing on his features as he watches Levi reach for the small bottle perched on the nightstand. “I like it, though,” he states quietly, fidgeting a little when Levi pops the cap open, not entirely sure what to do with himself. “Uh, do you want me to get into a different position or something?”

“No, this is perfect.” He rakes his gaze along Eren’s naked body, something dark and indulgent flickering over his features for the briefest of moments. “Just lay back and relax, darling. Can you do that for me?”

“Y-yeah, I think,” he stutters, hands gripping on to the sheets underneath him as he wills himself to relax where he’s leaning against the mountain of pillows piled up by the headboard.

“Good boy,” Levi states in a low voice, and while they’re only words, suddenly Eren’s aching for more. Apparently this doesn’t escape Levi’s notice as he leans forward to place a light kiss on his nose. “Open your mouth.”

He does as instructed, watching Levi as he squeezes a tiny amount of the chocolate syrup on to his index finger and then brings it up to Eren’s mouth. Without having to be told, he wraps his lips around that single digit, tasting rich sweetness as his tongue sweeps over it, sucking off every last drop. He can't keep the tiny disappointed noise from escaping him as Levi draws his finger away, now licked clean.

“How does it taste?” he inquires with calm interest.

“Good, I guess. Like chocolate,” he responds, licking off the tiny smudge of chocolate syrup smeared on his lower lip, and just like that, Levi’s leaning forward again and kissing him, catching some of that sweetness off his tongue.  

“You’re right, it does taste good,” he agrees when they part. “Or maybe that’s just you, who knows.”

Eren gives a short laugh as Levi raises the bottle again, hovering over his collarbone. “How mean, stealing chocolate right from my mouth,” he complains, glancing at Levi from under his lashes. “You better make it up to me.”

“Of course I will.” With that, he tilts the bottle and pours out a small amount of chocolate syrup. It runs down along Eren’s chest slowly, surprisingly cold and a little ticklish. Before he can say anything, Levi leans in closer and sweeps his tongue over the trail of chocolate syrup. He diverts from its path a little in order to lightly graze his teeth over Eren’s nipple, but soon returns to lick off the remaining chocolatey goodness.   
  
His mouth is so wickedly hot against Eren’s skin, and with his other hand rubbing comforting circles over Eren’s back, all Eren can do is squirm, cheeks reddening when he happens to lock eyes with Levi who looks like he’s about ready to eat him up.

“Doing okay, love?” he asks, pressing a reverent kiss over Eren’s heart.  
  
“Yeah. It’s a bit cold, but it feels kind of nice,” he admits, and though he’d been told to sit back and relax, his hand rises up as if on its own to pet at Levi’s hair. “Keep going?” It comes out more like a question than a request, but it seems that Levi’s more than happy to comply.   
  
“I’m going to make a tree,” he announces, and Eren quirks a brow at the statement.   
  
“A tree?” he questions, watching Levi pour out some more chocolate syrup on his chest. He moves the bottle down in an attempt to presumably create something resembling a branch, but it turns out more than a little squiggly. The two other branches Levi paints across his chest look equally sloppy, but Eren isn’t really making it any easier with his squirming. The syrup feels sticky and cool as some of it drips down on to his stomach, and the fleeting thought of ruining Levi’s fancy sheets with it crosses his mind.   
  
He doesn’t quite get to voice that concern, though, because now Levi’s moved on to drawing a line of chocolate syrup down along Eren’s abdomen, lower and lower, until he reaches his pubes. Of course, he assumes that’s where Levi will stop, but no, he keeps going, setting the bottle down only after he’s made a trail that reaches all the way along the length of Eren’s half-hard cock.  
  
“It’s probably going to get messy,” he points out, the blush on his face only intensifying when Levi gives him a positively sinful grin.   
  
“That’s the point,” he replies, and with that, leans down to give a long lick at the chocolate that’s threatening to drip down along the side of Eren’s stomach. It takes a lot of effort to stifle his laughter when Levi’s tongue is tickling over his skin, and after some more squirming, he finds himself even stickier than before with some of the chocolate syrup pooling in his navel once he finally settles down and allows Levi to continue his exploring.   
  
Eren watches his every move with hooded eyes, tensing up in delicious anticipation in between each hot lick. Both of them know exactly where the trail ends, and Eren’s so desperate for Levi to just go lower already. Even though he tries being a good boy and asking for it nicely, of course that damn tease takes his sweet time licking the chocolate syrup off of his chest. He seems particularly fixated on Eren’s left nipple, rubbing his tongue over it in firm, circular motions that make every cell in Eren’s body thrum with pleasure.   
  
“I never really noticed it, but your chest is really sensitive,” Levi drawls as his fingers come up to lightly pinch at his wet nipple. There’s no way Eren can deny it when Levi has full view of his achingly hard cock, a bead of clear precome glistening at the tip. “You’re so cute when you’re all worked up. Do you want me to go on?” It’s asked in such a coy tone that if Eren weren’t sporting a massive boner, he’d be tempted to roll his eyes and give some snappy retort.   
  
“For fuck’s sake,” he moans instead, his voice hitching up a bit when Levi wraps his fingers around the base of his cock.   
  
“Language, darling,” he reminds Eren in a dark voice as he moves to give a tiny lick where he left off. “If you don’t behave I might be forced to stop.”  
  
“Go on. Please,” Eren calls out, his head falling back as Levi runs a finger along the underside of his cock, his mouth skimming lightly over Eren’s stomach and that teasing pink tongue lapping up the chocolate running down over his abs. There are only a couple of licks left at most, only a couple of licks until the trail ends and Levi will hopefully grant him release.   
  
“Look at you, getting so hard all for me,” Levi purrs, now nosing at his bellybutton. “Would you like me to do something about this?” He gives Eren’s cock a leisurely stroke, smearing some of the chocolate syrup along his shaft in the process.   
  
“Please,” Eren repeats in what comes out almost as a whine, breathless and high-pitched. His skin is left burning in all the places Levi’s touched him, all of him taut and nearly trembling with need. “Please do something, fuck.”   
  
“Should I?” Levi wonders out loud, pausing to think as his tongue follows the trail of chocolate syrup down to the base of Eren’s cock. “What would you want me to do?”  
  
“Fuck, something, I don’t know.” Words are too much for him at this point, but he trusts Levi, he trusts him with everything because Levi always knows how to take care of him just right. “Anything, please.”  
  
For a few terrifying moments he think Levi might continue teasing him, but thankfully he seems to understand, licking down along Eren’s shaft a few times before taking him into his mouth completely, hands coming up to grip on to Eren’s thighs as he sinks down to the base of his cock.   
  
It’s so maddeningly warm and soft, not to mention how amazing it feels when Levi sucks off the remaining chocolate syrup, the sweet pressure almost making Eren lose it there and then. A hoarse groan falls from him when Levi draws back a little to sweep his tongue over the sensitive head of his cock, pressing down at the slit. Eren can feel the muscles in his throat working as he swallows down the precome, once again sliding his lips back to the base.   
  
Eren’s sure he screams when he comes, his body tensing up as he releases into Levi’s mouth. Even as he rides out his orgasm, he can feel Levi swallowing up his come, sucking out every last bit and only pulling his mouth away once he’s made sure to reduce Eren into a whimpering, overstimulated mess.   
  
By some miracle, the sheets have remained free of chocolate syrup so far as Eren sags into the pillows, his body tired and heavy yet thoroughly sated. He reaches out to draw Levi into his embrace, only to have his hands pinned back against the headboard.   
  
“You taste really nice down there as well,” Levi purrs into his neck, shifting closer so that Eren cannot possibly miss the erection brushing up against his thigh. “Sweet and kind of creamy.”   
  
Yes, Eren’s tired, but then again, he’d gotten only a tiny taste of chocolate for himself. That’s just not fair, so in order to set things right, he draws Levi in for a deep kiss as he reaches out for the previously discarded bottle of chocolate syrup


	20. morning after

Morning dawns slowly, the faint light filtering in through the blinds making him hide deeper under the covers. Though his mind is still clouded over with sleep, Eren’s reminded of last night by the slight twinge of discomfort around his lower back, letting out a quiet yawn as he squirms into a better position. It’s somewhat challenging, especially when Levi has all but draped himself over Eren at some point, strong arms wrapped around him and his face buried in the crook of Eren’s neck.  

There’s an adorable little tuft of hair sticking up at the side of Levi’s head, so of course Eren simply has to reach out and smooth his fingers through it. Even when snoring away at ass o’clock, Levi still manages to look as gorgeous as ever, Eren notes, his gaze fixed on those slightly parted lips that look so inviting and kissable. Levi barely stirs when he carefully thumbs over them, hand coming to cup at his jaw. During silent moments like these Eren’s left nearly breathless by the knowledge that he gets to share a home with the man he loves, gets to wake up every morning with his warm presence by his side.

The early morning light is catching on to the delicate silver ring on Eren’s finger, and as if on cue, he reaches for Levi’s hand under the covers, tracing over the identical ring he wears. It’s been a good few months now, but he still beams like the damn sun whenever he gets to introduce Levi to someone as his husband. He’ll never get tired of those two words, his _husband_ , the man who had, by some miracle, agreed to marry him, _his_ husband, Eren’s and only Eren’s for the rest of their lives.

He has to take a few deep breaths and draw back a little in order to calm himself, but the stupidly wide grin lingers on his features even as he moves to brush his nose together with Levi’s. After a moment of consideration, he presses their lips together, softly at first to avoid waking his gorgeous husband - there’s that word again, husband - from his sleep, but in the end Eren cannot resist coaxing his mouth open and sliding his tongue inside, skimming across Levi’s teeth lightly.  
  
Maybe he gets a little too carried away, all from just one little kiss, because soon enough he’s itching for more. There’s a familiar restless heat stirring up inside him as he shifts around in Levi’s arms, moaning quietly into the kiss. Before Eren even realizes, he’s grasping on to his shoulders with desperate hands, and that’s what finally seems to rouse Levi from his slumber.

“Morning,” he mutters against Eren’s mouth, and that hoarse, sleepy edge in his voice really shouldn’t cause Eren to get so worked up, but here he is, his erection digging into the mattress below whenever he happens to change positions.

“Hey you,” Eren says with a smile, pressing a tiny kiss on his husband’s nose. “Sleep well?”

Levi grumbles something unintelligible in response, reaching out to clumsily pet at Eren’s hair. “Sleep,” he agrees as he draws Eren closer to him, which is perfect because now Eren can feel all of his comforting warmth and run his touch over those nicely defined abs that he’s always been just a little envious of.

“Stop tickling me,” Levi complains when Eren does just that, yet makes no effort to swat away his wandering hands.

“I’m not tickling you,” Eren argues, _I’m feeling you up_ , he’s about to continue, but just then he’s interrupted by the familiar sound of Levi’s ringtone blaring from across the room.

“Fucking hell,” Levi sighs, and before Eren can protest, he’s already disentangling himself from the sheets.

Letting out a sigh of his own, he slumps against the pillow as he watches Levi scramble up and take the call. Then again, from here he has the perfect view of Levi’s muscled back, some faint marks still visible from last night when he’d scratched his nails across that flawless pale skin, holding on for dear life and only partially aware that it might leave a mark. It’s a damn shame Levi’s wearing boxers, and, in fact, he’s also pulling on some pants while balancing the phone between his ear and shoulder.

This scenario is going in the exact opposite direction Eren had been hoping for. Less clothes and more intimacy is what he’d had in mind, but looks like that’s not happening now. He slumps against the pillow, so utterly dejected that he cannot help but to breathe out a loud sigh.  
  
Petulant as it may be, he at least gets Levi’s attention with it. “It’s fucking Hanji,” he mouths, giving Eren an apologetic look over his shoulder, and then, speaking into the phone again, “Yeah, I can come in early and have a look. What did you do to it, exactly?”  
  
From listening to Levi’s part of the conversation, it sounds like yet another mishap with the office’s IT system. Now it’s certain that Eren’s not getting a second round so he buries himself deeper under the covers, tugging the duvet over him. He doesn’t have class until afternoon so he’s not going to budge from his little nest, unless maybe if doing so would get him some love. Doesn’t look like it, though, because Levi breathes out a long, strained exhale after hanging up, glancing over at Eren with an apologetic look.  
  
“She’s jammed the whole thing somehow, for fuck’s sake,” he grumbles, swooping down to press a kiss into Eren’s hair. “Get some more sleep. I really shouldn’t have kept you up so late last night.” There’s a trace of guilt in his voice as he trails his fingers down along his neck lovingly.  
  
“It was worth it,” Eren drawls with a lopsided smirk, and for a few moments he thinks he might be able to coax Levi to stay with him, but then Levi’s already drawing back  and muttering something about coffee and idiotic coworkers as he shuffles in the direction of the kitchen. He’s not a morning person, so Eren’s not at all surprised that he still looks like he’s half asleep, bleary-eyed with his hair mussed up and that deliciously adorable tuft exactly where Eren had left it.  
  
Levi disappears into the hallway and soon enough Eren can hear him opening cupboards in the kitchen, now completely out of his reach. How tragic, Eren thinks with a huff.He figures he’ll just settle in for a nice nap, and he tries, he really tries, but he cannot stop the memories from last night flashing before his eyes when he closes them.  
  
It really had been worth it, even though they’d been at it way past midnight. He remembers those careful guiding touches against his flushed skin, remembers the heated praises mumbled into the crook of his neck, and above all, he remembers the utter satisfaction and contentment of having his husband’s arms wrapped around him, of being in the center of all that reverent attention and affection. The bed feels colder without Levi next to him, and even though Eren tries to bundle up as best as he can, it doesn’t even come close to having the real thing with him.  
  
Burying his head into Levi’s pillow helps soothe the longing at least a little since it still holds the faint scent of his shampoo. In fact, Eren ends up worming his way to Levi’s side of the bed entirely, shifting around a little to get more comfortable. It’s a lot more cozy on this side for some reason, especially once Eren curls up and tries to pretend that the duvet resting over him is Levi blanketing him in his warmth. It’s pretty nice, and he could almost fall asleep again if it weren’t for the fact that his erection has not disappeared anywhere. If anything, it’s only made its presence more known, throbbing heavily whenever the thought of Levi crosses his mind.  
  
With his eyes still closed, Eren reaches down to grasp at the base of his cock, only a little hesitant. He can hear the sound of the coffee machine being turned on, followed by cups clinking together, and yeah, Levi’s definitely not coming back to bed now, so Eren might as well finish the job by himself. It’s not quite the same, of course, but it’ll have to do for now. At least here he’s surrounded by Levi’s scent and wrapped up in the ridiculously soft and expensive sheets he’d insisted on buying.  
  
Truthfully, since they’d been together so intimately and intensely last night, Eren probably shouldn’t even be feeling so needy. _He’s ruined me_ , Eren thinks as he touches along the length of his cock, mouth falling open in a quiet sigh. Levi’s literally spoiled him rotten to such an extent that Eren’s pining for him when he’s just in the next room. Now that he’s had a taste of the sweetness and the kind reassurances Levi gladly showers him in, of course he’ll crave them all the time, no matter how much he’s already had before.  
  
Hand working over his cock in slow, leisurely strokes, Eren thinks back on last night again. As always, Levi had been nothing but gentle and thorough with him, taking his time stretching Eren out and finding all the right spots to make him scream in frustration. He’d lost count of how many times he’d come, but he does recall clawing at Levi’s back and crying out for more even while spasming and whimpering from the overstimulation.  
  
Damn, what he wouldn’t give to have Levi hold him down and fill him up again. He’s probably loose enough back there and ready to go without all that torturously slow prep, all he needs is just to feel that pleasant fullness inside of him and Levi’s touches all over his body. He tries to imagine that the hand on his cock is Levi’s, gently bringing him closer to release while he whispers in Eren’s ear, _darling, look at you, so hard, do you want to come?_ And of course he wants to come, but he knows that Levi won’t let him until he’s absolutely wrecked, thighs shaking with the effort of holding himself back as he begs for permission - he wants to be a good boy, so it wouldn’t even cross his mind to come without being allowed, but he _really_ wants it and it’s so difficult to keep denying himself when he’s so close and Levi’s right there watching him shiver with need.  
  
A moan spills forth from his mouth as he thumbs over the head of his cock, precome leaking down along his shaft. He tries to muffle the sound by burying his head even deeper into the pillow, the intoxicating scent of apple shampoo combined with clean sheets and something so distinctly Levi he can’t quite name enveloping him and making him sink deeper into that dizzying pleasure building up in the pit of his stomach. “Please,” he whimpers quietly before he can stop himself, imagining the corners of Levi’s mouth quirk up in approval.  
  
_Such a good boy, Eren, asking for it so nicely_ , he’d say while peppering kisses down along his neck, _you’re so pretty like this, love, so perfect_. There are tears welling up behind Eren’s closed eyelids as he strokes at his cock firmly, imagining how proud Levi would be of him for holding on for so long. Maybe he’d even reward Eren by slipping a finger or two inside his ass, all the while muttering gentle praises to him. _My sweet Eren, my good boy,_ he’d whisper with a pleased edge in his voice, _you’re doing so well, darling, look at how hard you are, all for me._  
  
Of course Eren does just as the Levi inside his head tells him to, casting his eyes down at his cock that’s straining against his stomach, clear precome covering both the shaft and his hand. It’s an arousing sight, but what catches Eren’s attention is the fact that someone is standing there, right next to their bed, and watching him jerk off.  
  
Very slowly, his eyes flicker up to meet his husband’s stare. Levi appears mildly amused and maybe a little interested, too, as he says, “I was going to ask if you wanted me to make you breakfast but it seems that you have something else in mind.”  
  
Eren springs to life then, throwing the covers over himself and hiding his red face in the pillow. “You’re supposed to be going to work,” he argues, so mortified that he can barely form full sentences.  
  
“I was, but then I heard your call,” he hears Levi remark, and then feels the bed dip slightly as he sits down by Eren’s side.  
  
“You’re horrible,” Eren declares, yelping as Levi pulls the covers back and rakes his eyes over Eren’s naked body and his prominent erection  
  
“Don’t be shy. You looked like you were enjoying yourself.” His fingers wrap around Eren’s cock and he supposes he can’t really deny it since he fucking moans out loud the second he feels those hands on him.  
  
“I was thinking of you,” Eren admits and sees Levi’s eyes darken.  
  
“Work can wait,” he says, shrugging off his pants as he settles next to Eren. “I’m going to take care of you first.”


	21. late morning

He’s tackled on to the bed, demanding lips sucking at the nape of his neck as Levi pulls him into his arms, his chest pressed flush against Eren’s back. “You looked so pretty like that, what a shame I couldn’t watch you until the end,” he purrs into Eren’s ear. “Did you miss me that much?”   
  
“No,” Eren claims maybe a little too quickly, glancing to the clock on the bedside table. “You’re going to be late from work.”   
  
“Darling, if you needed some attention all you had to do was ask,” Levi states as he noses at Eren’s cheek and twines their fingers together. When they’re like this, exactly as Eren had fantasized earlier, he can feel Levi’s solid body against his back, so warm and comforting that he can’t help but to shiver. “Still feeling the effects of last night?”   
  
“Maybe,” he admits in a quiet voice, nestling closer to Levi. Last night had been intense, leaving him in a squirming, whimpering mess. In addition to having been fucked and made to come numerous times, he’d been so lovingly enveloped in Levi’s embrace, drowning in all the gentle touches and praises whispered against his skin. Even while in the midst of blinding pleasure, Eren remembers how overwhelmingly cherished and safe he’d felt with Levi’s hands roaming over his body and bringing him to orgasm over and over again.    
  
It’s kind of ridiculous that after such a night he’s still craving for more, each second when he doesn’t have Levi’s undivided attention feeling like an eternity. Their bed had been freezing cold without him and he’d only been gone for a couple of moments, literally just a few steps away in the kitchen. Eren is so, so fucked, he’s so ridiculously infatuated with this man, completely smitten and hopelessly head-over-heels like a teenager all over again. Over a year after their wedding he’s still getting butterflies whenever his husband touches him, not to mention how damn happy he gets at even the smallest of compliments.    
  
In the middle of sucking tiny hickeys into his neck, Levi scrapes his teeth along his sensitive nape, making him jolt slightly. “What do you want, love?” he asks, kissing over the fresh marks blooming across Eren’s tan skin.    
  
Without hesitation, Eren casts a knowing glance as him as he responds, “For you to take care of me like you promised.” Of course that’s what Levi always does, reading Eren like an open book and freely granting him anything he happens to desire, whether or not he himself even realizes it, from sweet words and encouragements to fancy chocolates that he’ll gladly handfeed to Eren.

Levi’s hand trails down along his back, lingering by the visible bruises he’d left over Eren’s hips and thighs. “My poor baby, I really shouldn’t have worked you so hard last night,” he murmurs, an edge of concern creeping into his voice when he sees Eren flinch a little at the touch. “Are you sore?” 

“Not that much,” he replies. It’s more of a pleasant twinge whenever he happens to shift around that reminds him of how nicely Levi had filled him up the night before, the marks on his skin concrete evidence of their shared passion. His breath hitches a little when Levi’s hand wanders in between his buttocks, a careful finger rubbing over his sensitive and well-used hole. “Is it horribly greedy of me to want you inside me again?” The question is asked in a light, coy tone, but somewhere at the back of mind there’s still that hideous, persistent insecurity raising its head and telling him that, yes, he is greedy and clingy and probably doesn’t deserve even half of the sweet affection he’s lavished with.

Luckily that nagging voice is soon drowned out by Levi’s gentle laughter tickling his neck. “Of course not, darling. Anything for you.” He sinks just the tip of his thumb inside, barely even nudging past the rim of Eren’s hole. “Are you sure you’re not too worn out?”    
  
Not in the mood for teasing, Eren presses his ass against Levi’s growing erection as he mutters in the most seductive tone he can manage, “I want you. Now.”   
  
“You have me,” Levi promises, capturing Eren’s lips in a slow kiss as he leans over him to grab the lube from the bedside table where they’d left it last night. For a couple of perfect moments he’s safely blanketed by Levi’s body hovering above him while Levi fumbles with the drawers. Eren’s breath catches in his throat a little when he finally sees Levi pull out the lube, shivering in delicious anticipation as he settles back to lay behind him. 

“You were taking it so well last night, Eren, you made me feel amazing,” he mutters while pressing kisses along Eren’s neck, his words full of pure adoration. “I just can’t control myself when it comes to you.” He brushes over the marks on Eren’s hips in what’s only a light caress before pressing a slicked finger against his entrance.

“Good. Don’t even try,” Eren replies in a low murmur, lazily wriggling his hips back to meet Levi’s touch. He gets the point, apparently, because now that finger is fully sinking inside of him, a second one rubbing over his hole already. It really is more loose than before, and certainly not painful. The slight ache feels more like pleasant buzzing that only intensifies when Levi happens to brush down against his sensitive prostate.

His breath feels hot against Eren’s skin as he whispers, “What a good boy you are, love. Always so responsive when I touch you.” As if to emphasize his words, his other hand reaches down to stroke along Eren’s prominent erection. “What were you thinking about before I interrupted you?”

“About you. And last night,” Eren chokes out, all but rubbing back against Levi, anything to just get more of his fingers into his ass. “Isn’t that obvious?”

“I like hearing you say it out loud.” Levi smiles against the shell of his ear, and he sounds so damn smug that Eren would consider punching him if it weren’t for that fact that he literally has Eren by the balls here. A second finger is sinking into Eren’s ass now, rubbing along his walls in tiny, teasing circles. “What were you imagining me doing to you?” 

Of course he’d make Eren describe all his fantasies in more detail, that bastard. He can feel Levi smiling wider behind him while he himself is left in a flustered mess, a faint pink hue rising to his cheeks as he squirms around in Levi’s embrace. “Touching me,” he replies, but it seems like that’s not a sufficient response since the fingers inside him aren’t going nearly deep enough now. “And telling me how good I’ve been, and, um, just holding me, I guess.” He conveniently leaves out the fact that he’d be kind of interested in Levi holding him  _ down _ and maybe leaving some new marks on him while he’s at it. Fucking hell, has he always been this insatiable or is it just something to do with Levi?

“Oh, Eren, you’re such a sweetheart,” Levi coos into his ear before moving to trail kisses along the ticklish skin of his neck. This is where he should disagree because he truly has become an utter sex fiend, a real beacon of sin, but all that comes out is a faint moan since Levi’s now pushing a third finger inside of him. “I love you so much, darling, have I told you that lately?”

“Tell me again?” Eren asks in what he hopes is a coy tone even though it sounds more despairing to his own ears.

“I love you, Eren.” It’s spoken without an ounce of hesitation, the warm, gentle tone of voice making Eren’s toes curl. “You are so precious and important to me, I’m so proud to call you my husband.”

It’s ridiculous how worked up just a few words can make him, his head clouded with both affection and heady arousal as he allows himself to sink deeper into the pleasure that’s building up inside of him. “Thank you,” he says in what’s barely a whisper as Levi gives his cock a languid stroke. “I love you too.”

“I know, and I appreciate it so much, you have no idea. I just want to make you feel good all the time.” He crooks his fingers to massage over Eren’s prostate, now more decisive than before. “Here, right?”

“Fuck, yes. Please don’t stop,” Eren breathes out, not even caring how wanton he sounds, because Levi’s stretching him out so perfectly and making him push his hips back for more of that sweet pressure. 

“There you go, darling, look at you,” Levi whispers into his ear, low and hoarse. “What a good boy you are, letting me have you like this. It makes me so damn happy to know you’d trust me so much.”

“I’d trust you with anything,” he finds himself whimpering out, unable to stop the words. “You’re so good to me, Levi, fuck, you’re always taking such good care of me.”

He hears Levi give a strained exhale behind him. “Baby, you can’t just say things like that,” Levi mutters, guiding his erection to rub over the cleft of Eren’s ass. “Or else I’m going to have to eat you all up, you little minx.” Those fingers are still stroking inside of him, hitting all of his most sensitive spots and making him feel so unbelievably good, and now the prospect of finally having Levi’s cock fill him to the brim is bringing literal tears to his eyes. 

Even so, he can’t stop the low whine that escapes him when Levi retracts his fingers. “Please,” he groans, because it feels like an eternity has gone by without anything inside of him - it couldn’t have been more than a couple of seconds, really, but when Levi’s right there pressed up against his back and enveloping him in his arms it’s as if Eren’s losing all sense of reality.

“I’ve got you, sweetheart, it’s fine.” He brings the head of his cock to nudge at Eren’s stretched hole. “Just relax, Eren, you’re doing so well, what a good boy you are.”

He tries to relax, he really does, but Levi’s pushing inside of him far too slowly and Eren needs to have all of him right now, at this very second, or else he’s going to fall apart. That’s why, with one quick movement of his hips, he urges Levi’s cock fully into his ass, the sudden stretch making him let out a quiet moan. Okay, maybe he is a bit more worn out from last night than he’d claimed earlier - especially when he wriggles around a bit and bears down experimentally in order to feel each vein and contour along Levi’s shaft. He’s more sensitive down there, somehow, and even when neither one of them are moving Eren’s still far too gone, all from just having Levi in him.

“It’s okay, baby, I’m right here,” Levi whispers into his hair, and that’s when Eren realizes he’s been babbling his thoughts out loud, too lost the in all-consuming pleasure that’s quickly reducing him to a moaning, loose-lipped mess. “There you go, Eren, it’s alright.” One of his hands is sneaking down to rub comforting circles over Eren’s abdomen while the other stays looped around his shoulders, and Levi’s hold on him is so firm and gentle that Eren’s literally shaking - he’s never felt so safe before, so utterly and completely and thoroughly  _ loved _ , in every sense of the word. 

Before he knows it there are hot tears rolling down his cheeks, as much as he tries to hold back the sobs rising up deep from his chest. Damn, he’s pretty sure he’d cried last night, too, and now it’s even more intense, because in addition to the overwhelming feeling of being cherished and taken care of, there’s that pleasant little soreness flaring up whenever Levi thrusts into him, no matter how careful he’s trying to be. It’s just too good, pain blending in with pleasure, and he wants even more of it, wants to be endlessly fucked and used and ruined until he doesn’t even remember his own name. He wants it faster and deeper and all at once, but of course Levi’s not in any hurry as he strokes along his jaw in a light caress. 

“It’s okay to cry, sweetheart,” he mutters after noticing that Eren’s leaned over to bury his face in the pillow. “But you need to tell me you’re not hurting or I’m going to stop right now.”

“Don’t you dare.” It comes out as a choked moan as Eren glances at him over his shoulder. “Fuck, it feels so good, please don’t stop.”

Some of the concern on Levi’s face fades at that, and he reaches to press a tiny kiss against the skin of Eren’s shoulder. “You’re doing so well, Eren, what a good boy you are,” he nearly purrs, rocking deeper into him. “My good boy, my sweetheart.”

He doesn’t even bother trying to hide his tears, letting one sob after another wreck his body while grasping on to Levi. No matter how much he squirms or pleads in incoherent sentences, all Levi does is hold on to him tighter and whisper comforting praises to him while fucking him with slow and steady thrusts. It’s so, so perfect and he cannot stop shaking, he swears he’s going to lose his mind at this rate, but it’s okay because Levi’s there to take care of him and to give him exactly what he needs, it’s okay for Eren to give up control for just a while.

“Look at you, baby, you’re so hard,” Levi’s whispering into his ear while his hand works over Eren’s cock. It’s straining against his stomach and leaking out precome, each stroke making more drip down on the sheets. “Good boy, you’re squeezing around me really tightly.”

“Fuck, Levi, I can’t,” he breaks off into a moan, and he’s so damn close, the heat that’s been coiling in the pit of his stomach ready to boil over any moment now. “It’s too good.”

“Don’t hold back,” Levi tells him in a rough whisper, angling himself a little better so that he’s rubbing directly over Eren’s overstimulated prostate and making him whine out loud. “Let go, sweetheart, come for me.”    
  
And he does, his body spasming both with choked sobs and the force of his release and his vision filled with thousands of blinding lights. Everything else fades away other than the feel of Levi’s arms wrapped tightly around him as he fucks Eren through it. He thinks that Levi comes at some point, too, but he’s too far gone to register it, all of him so raw and bared as he tries to squirm even impossibly closer to Levi.    
  
Afterwards his limbs are heavy and powerless so he gladly allows Levi to turn him around to face him, his eyes searching Eren’s face closely. He probably looks like a mess, cheeks streaked with tears and all of his composure long gone. “Good boy,” Levi repeats with a light peck on his lips. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”   
  
His throat is too dry and scratchy for words, but he manages a nod and that seems to be enough for Levi. He pulls Eren against his chest, hands reaching to stroke through his hair in soothing motions. When they’re skin to skin to each other like this, Eren can feel the steady rise and fall of Levi’s chest and hear the faint sound of his heartbeat if he listens closely, and it’s so damn comforting that he simply has to cling on to Levi as tightly as possible, never mind work or school or all the other responsibilities waiting as soon as they roll out of bed.   
  
_ Just five more minutes _ , Eren tells himself as he starts to nod off. It may already be late morning, yes, but it’s still morning.    
  



	22. ebony

The grand piano has stood in the corner of their salon next to the large windows for as long as Eren can remember. His mother had often played for him when he’d been younger, and on a few occasions had even allowed Eren to run his fingers over the keys as he sat on her lap. The ebony ones had produced more discordant sounds which he’d been particularly fond of, slamming his hands down on them with much more force than necessary and creating a cacophony that in no way resembled his mother’s beautiful playing.

Growing up, he’d been more interested in exploring through the gardens and digging out worms from under his father’s award-winning rose bushes, and even later his attention had been captured by girls and cars and other teenage boy things. That’s why it comes as a surprise for him that his mother signs him up for piano lessons only a couple days after his sixteenth birthday.

She’d let him choose between piano and ballroom dancing, and of course Eren had gone for the piano. As far as he’s aware, real men don't dance. But still, he hadn’t expected his mother to follow through, and though he whines and whines and whines about it, she doesn’t change her mind.

“You’re at about that age where you have to learn how to carry yourself like a gentleman,” she’d stated firmly. “Understanding music will help you a great deal in high society.”

His first lesson takes place on a cloudy Tuesday afternoon, taught by a man by the name of Mr. Ackerman. He watches with a blank expression as Eren struggles to stretch his fingers across the keys, not saying a word even though Eren’s very clearly struggling. He’d asked him to show how much he knew about playing, and though Eren knows fuck all, he’s going to try his hardest - maybe he could impress his teacher to such an extent that he’d announce to his mother that there’s nothing more he could teach to Eren and that he was simply born with such a natural talent for music that any further lessons wouldn’t be of use to him.

Instead Mr. Ackerman lets out a long sigh, motioning Eren to halt his playing. “Stop. Please, for the love of God, stop,” he says in a flat voice.

“It couldn’t have been that bad,” Eren quips.

“It was even worse than I could have imagined,” Mr. Ackerman replies. “I guess we’ll have to start from the very beginning.”

Eren frowns but watches carefully as Mr. Ackerman rests his fingers over the keys. He’s been privately tutored his whole life and has met all kinds of teachers, but due to their family’s high status, not a single one has ever been this rude to him. _I’ll show you,_ he thinks just then. It can’t be that hard

It’s not exactly hard, but mastering the piano takes a lot of practice, it seems. After going over the basic notes, Mr. Ackerman tells him that he’ll have to play every day from now on. “At least for half an hour. More than that would be ideal, but half an hour is the very minimum,” he says after they’ve finished. Eren decides to double that.

\---  
  
Mr. Ackerman does not wear a ring. This is something Eren notices very early on, and it’s a completely normal thing to notice, okay, since he spends most of their lessons staring at either his own or Mr. Ackerman’s fingers. He looks to be in his early thirties, or maybe a bit younger, and while it’s not terribly uncommon for a man to reach such an age without marrying, it still catches Eren’s attention for some reason.

Of course, it doesn’t even cross his mind to ask about such personal matters - he’s a student and Mr. Ackerman is his teacher, so it’s not like it’s any of his business. Thanks to Eren’s diligent practice, their lessons go quite well. Or at least Eren thinks so. Mr. Ackerman has a rather expressionless and hard-to-read face, but Eren would like to think he’s somewhat succeeded in impressing him.

Then comes the day when Eren tries playing out his first proper melody instead of just singular notes and it all goes downhill from there.

Apparently Bach’s Minuet in G major is supposed to be a rather easy piece for a beginner, but the fumbling starts only a few notes in. Eren’s fingers are clumsy as they press down at the keys, occasionally bumping at the wrong one when he moves on to play the next note. He gives up not even halfway through, slamming his fist against the keys violently and taking in a long breath through his nose.

“Don’t hurt the piano,” Mr. Ackerman chides him. “Again. From the beginning.”

He tries countless times, starting over again and again at Mr. Ackerman’s insistence, but doesn’t make it to the end even once. It’s too frustrating to hear those mistakes over and over, even the notes that he gets right starting to sound weak and trembling. It seems like Mr. Ackerman notices his building aggravation, laying a hand on his arm to interrupt his playing.

“I’ll play it out for you in full once,” he states. “Watch.”

Eren watches those graceful fingers moving over the keys and pressing down at just the right times to produce beautifully flowing music. It sounds much better than Eren’s feeble attempts, and he almost wants to slink down on to the floor in defeat - there’s no way he could ever play like that, no matter how much he’d practice. Mr. Ackerman plays with such ease, barely even looking at the keys as he explains to Eren how to move from one note to another, and upon briefly locking eyes with him, Eren’s quick to drop his gaze back to the piano.

Mr. Ackerman has gray eyes, he notes. Gray like clouded skies or misty evenings upon rocky shores.

After a few more failed attempts and Mr. Ackerman scolding him for ‘hurting the piano’ again, their lesson draws to a close. Practice, practice, practice, is what Mr. Ackerman tells him, and yet again, Eren takes those words to heart. Yes, practicing does make him want to only hurt the piano further, but so be it - he’ll practice until his fingers are raw.

It takes two weeks of diligent playing, but at long last, during a particularly intense lesson, Eren succeeds in playing Bach’s Minuet in G major from the beginning to the end, even though he still hesitates a little. After the last note has echoed through the spacious salon, he takes his fingers off the keys and blows out the nervous breath he’d been holding before glancing at Mr. Ackerman.

He’s smiling, actually smiling. Granted, it’s only a tiny quirk of his lips, but still, it’s the first smile he’s ever seen on Mr. Ackerman’s face. “Not bad,” he states after a moment of silence, and though it’s possibly the most understated compliment Eren has ever received, he’s suddenly all the more motivated to become even better.

\---

After that, they practice more basic minuets, mostly Bach but sometimes other composers, too. Mr. Ackerman (“for fuck’s sake, Eren, don’t call me that, it’s just Levi”) encourages him to listen to music and find works he’d like to try playing, so for the first time in his life, Eren finds himself at the city library on an afternoon he would’ve typically spent hanging around town with his friends and whistling at pretty girls that passed by. It had always felt like kind of a rude thing to do, but that’s what real men did, at least according to his classmates.

He finds dozens of interesting songs he’d like to try out, and though some of them seem quite challenging, he checks out a whole pile of sheet music. Of course he studies it all carefully even at home, trying to splay out his hands in the correct positions as he reads. He doesn’t even dream of practising them on the piano yet - it feels sacred, somehow, the whole act of playing a song, and he doesn’t want to ruin it with his fumbling without getting Mr. Ackerman’s - Levi’s, he corrects himself mentally - opinion first.

Eren arrives ten minutes early to their next lesson and, to his surprise, finds Levi already there. As he peers in through the crack of the door, he also sees his mother, both of them standing by the opened glass doors that lead into the garden. Though from such a distance he can’t make out what they’re talking about, he hears the sound of his mother’s soft laughter, and after a while, her footsteps heading towards right where he’s standing. He ducks out of the way just in time, hiding around the corner as the door to the hallway opens and her mother steps out, luckily heading in the other direction. It’s not like she’d scold him for spying on them or anything, but somehow these moments with Levi feel too special for him to share.

Stepping into the salon, his steps are light and quiet as he makes his way to Levi. He’s smoking by the doorway and appears a little startled as he notices Eren standing next to him.

“Sorry. Bad habit,” he says as he raises the hand that’s holding the cigarette. “Go and sit down, we’ll get started in just a second.”

“Can I have some, too?” Eren asks, hypnotized by the swirls of smoke rising up from the smoldering tip.

Levi raises a brow at him. “Aren’t you, like, twelve or something?” he drawls.

The mocking question makes Eren puff out his cheeks in a defiant manner. “I’ll be seventeen next year,” he announces with an edge of irritation in his voice.

“So basically just a kid,” Levi replies as he takes an another drag. “You won’t even like it, it would just be a waste of a cigarette.”

“I might like it.” He’s smelled cigarette smoke before, and while it’s not a scent he prefers, Levi makes the act of smoking look far too tempting. “Just give me the rest of that one.”

After taking one last drag, Levi hands the cigarette to Eren and watches him nearly choke at the very first inhale.

“Told you so,” he states while Eren’s busy hacking up a lung.

Though his eyes are watering and the smoke tastes like soot and tar, Eren gives a shake of his head. “It’s good,” he claims after his coughing fit, holding the cigarette at an arm’s length. “Uh, thanks, you can have it back.”

Levi tosses the nearly burnt out cigarette into the ashtray on their way inside, taking a seat next to Eren as he pulls out the sheet music he’d borrowed from the library. Even as Eren talks about what he’d like to play, he’s so incredibly aware of the scent of tobacco and something else that lingers when he’s this close to Levi - maybe his cologne or something, but whatever it is, it makes it just a little harder for him to focus on the notes in front of him, the tremble of his fingers only increasing when Levi lays his hand over his to guide it to the right keys.

\---

Somewhere along the line, his mother has gotten the great idea to have Eren play in their annual Winter Ball.

He resists for as long as he can, of course, but it seems that she’s gotten Levi in on it, too.

“I thought you were on my side,” Eren whines as they’re practicing one of the more complicated pieces his mother had chosen for him.

“She’s the one paying me,” Levi states, his gaze fixed so intently on Eren’s fingers that it’s no wonder Eren keeps fumbling with each note. “Again from the beginning.”

The damn ball is months away, but it’s probably good they started training so early - Eren still has trouble moving fluidly from one note to another, and though he doesn’t mind fucking up when it’s only Levi, he’d rather not embarrass himself in front of all his mother’s guests. Levi has the habit of laying his hand over Eren’s when he gets the the most difficult parts, gently guiding him along, and it’s such a soothing feeling that Eren forgets all about the anxiety buzzing at the back of his head.

In addition to the ball, there’s also the small matter of his date. His mother insists that he needs to have one since it’s the first time he’s taking part in one of her balls. After Eren informs her that he has no intention to ask anymore, she takes the reigns and arranges a young woman by the name of Krista Reiss to accompany him.

“Her family is very well-respected,” his mother states with a knowing smile. “And she’s just at the right age for marriage, as are you.”

The thought somehow makes Eren feel vaguely nauseous. He may not be a kid anymore but he’s certainly not an adult ready to get married. With his focus on practicing the piano, he tries to forget about his mother’s remarks, but inevitably, the day of the Winter Ball arrives.

His mother has invited Levi there, too, and while that should be reassuring, it makes Eren all the more nervous. As soon as he steps foot in the elaborately decorated ballroom, he makes a beeline to where Levi’s standing by the columns, luckily alone.

“I can’t do this,” he wheezes, meaning much more than just the playing.

“You can and you will,” Levi states with full confidence as he pulls him aside so that they’re partially hidden. “Come here, your bow’s all crooked. Have you never tied one?”

“Not really,” Eren states as Levi fixes his bow for him, those fingertips skimming so close to the skin of his neck that it leaves him hot in a way he’s never felt before. “Levi, I can’t do it.”

Whatever Levi’s about to say in response is cut off by Eren’s mother sweeping in, her hand gripping on to Eren’s arm as she throws a blindingly bright smile at Levi and leads Eren away, closer to the centre of the room. She babbles excitedly in his ear all the while, introducing him to all her friends and especially to their daughters. She stops on a particularly beautiful blonde girl who looks Eren firmly in the eye and shakes his hand without any shyness.

This is Krista, apparently, and as the orchestra begins playing a slow waltz, Eren’s mother leaves them to dance together. For such a tiny girl, Krista’s steps are quite forceful and her grip on Eren is so determined that he’s not even sure which one of them is leading as they sway on the floor. She has an interesting personality, though, honest and outspoken, and makes Eren bark out a laugh on a couple of occasions.

“I don’t want to marry you, by the way,” she states after they’ve run out of pleasantries to exchange. “You’re nice and all, but I have a girlfriend.”

“What does that have to do with marrying? All women your age have a lot of girlfriends,” Eren says, a little confused but also relieved.

“Not like that,” Krista sighs. “A woman who I’m in love with. Romantically.”

It takes a moment for the words to sink in, but when they do, Eren’s mouth falls open. “Uh, you mean that’s possible?” he asks, careful to keep his voice low. “For women to be with women and… men with men?”

Krista laughs, seeming genuinely amused rather than mocking. “You’re so innocent. Yes, it is, though not all that widely accepted.” She squeezes his arm lightly, guiding them to turn a little. “She’s the tall, dark-haired one in an orange dress who’s been scowling at you for this whole song. By the windows.”

Eren looks, and he does indeed see a woman matching that description who’s glaring daggers at him. “She looks like she wants to kill me.”

“That’s my Ymir,” Krista sighs with fondness laced in her voice. “Anyway, I promised my father I’d dance with you at least once, so if you don’t mind I’ll part ways with you after this.”

Eren doesn’t mind at all. In fact, the heavy weight that had settled over his chest is lifted by those words, and he and Krista part on good terms. Only a couple seconds later his mother is hovering over him again as she nudges him towards the piano seated right in front of the orchestra that has now stopped playing. All eyes are on the two of them, especially after his mother loudly announces that Eren will play the next song for them.

He catches Levi’s eye just as he sits down by the piano. The gray of his irises looks darker now but he gives Eren an encouraging nod, and even after Eren turns his attention to the keys, he can feel Levi’s gaze lingering on him. With a deep breath, he imagines that Levi’s skilled hands are laying over his, that pale skin soft and warm against Eren’s. It’s just an another one of their lessons, Eren tells himself. It’s just the two of them, all these other people are only decoration.

His hands press down at the keys as he plays the first note, and after that, the second. Somewhere along the line he stops counting and lets the flow of the music carry him, and by the time the rest of the orchestra joins in, he’s already at home in the salon with Levi watching him as he plays. He doesn’t dare to look up in fear of shattering the illusion, but it doesn’t seem like anyone has even noticed that in his mind he’s not here anymore. He faintly registers the people around him pairing up and resuming their dancing, the swishing of skirts and the sound of polished shoes on hardwood suggesting that they’ll be too busy counting steps and perhaps exchanging gossip to stare at Eren.

The song finishes much more quickly than Eren would have anticipated, and as he lifts his hands off the keys after playing the last note, the crowd gives him a round of muted applause. He did it. He really did it, just like Levi had said, and though his legs feel like jelly as he slinks off and lets the orchestra’s pianist reclaim his seat, he feels more than a little proud of himself.

Levi’s smiling at him as he approaches, and it’s such a rare sight that Eren’s heart nearly skips a beat. “You played really well,” he states. “I told you that you had nothing to be nervous about.”

To his mortification, he can feel heat rushing to his cheeks at the compliment, and suddenly he’s very busy examining the tips of his shoes like they’re the most interesting thing in the world. “Thanks. You really think so?”

“Of course,” Levi says with a nod. “I think we could try learning to play in minor next, maybe even having you compose your own music.”

He goes on about planning their future lessons, but instead of listening to the words, Eren listens to the melodious sound of his voice, and maybe he’s just imagining, but he thinks it’s tinged with a certain softness that hadn’t been there before.

\---  
  
Their lessons continue throughout the winter and spring, and on one particular lesson only a few days after Eren’s seventeenth birthday, Levi hands him a small package wrapped in brown paper and bound together by silk string.

“I thought I should get you something since we’ve practiced for a year already and also because of your birthday,” he explains, avoiding Eren’s curious stare. “It’s not much, you’re probably used to really fancy expensive gifts, but anyway.”

The package is not very large but it feels heavy in his hands, and for just a fleeting moment Eren wonders if it could be a wedding ring. Of course it couldn’t be, but the thought crosses his mind. He tears the wrapping open with impatient hands, lifting up the small box that’s revealed from under it. It looks to be made of wood, delicate swirls carved along the surface and a wind-up key sticking out from its side. He gives it a couple of turns and the box comes to life, a very familiar tone playing out from its depths.

“Bach’s Minuet in G major,” he states, a slow smile rising to his face. “It’s beautiful. Thank you so much, Levi.”

“Like I said, it’s not much, but I figured I should get you something.” Levi keeps avoiding his eyes, and Eren thinks he even sees a faint shade of pink rising over his cheeks. “So, should we start?”

Eren’s so giddy with joy that he has trouble focusing on playing, earning some light scolding for Levi. The man had given him a gift, and such a lovely gift, too, probably the best gift he’s ever received. Unlike the fancy expensive ones, this one had clearly been chosen with love and care, making it all the more special.

It’s only natural that he wants to give Levi something in return, and of course the first thing he thinks of is a kiss. Maybe even more, eventually, but a kiss would be a nice way to start. Oh, he wants so much more, to hold hands with Levi, wrap his arms around him, maybe even something as bold as share a bed with him. He wants it, he wants it so much, but he knows that Levi is a good man, so he waits.

\---

Levi tells him that he’s leaving after the summer.

Apparently he’s been offered a teaching position at the conservatory in Sina, which he’s accepted without second thought. It’s a pleasant job with a more than decent wage and good perks, he tells Eren, but none of this matters to his ears. What matters is that Levi’s leaving.

Sina is on the opposite side of the country, ten hours by train at least, so he might as well be moving to a whole different continent as far as Eren’s concerned. It’s selfish of him to think that Levi would ever want to stay just because of him - his mother doesn’t pay him that much, and it’s probably more rewarding to teach people with actual talent rather than rich kids with too much time on their hands. No more piano lessons for him; even worse, no more Levi.

He tries to act like an adult about it, he really does, but the facade falls apart as soon as Levi’s stepped out of their house at the end of their lesson. Eren remains, sitting down by the piano he’d just been playing only moments ago. There are hot tears brimming at his eyes as he slams his hand down at the keys, and the sound produced describes his current state perfectly.

For the next couple of days, all he does is sulk, barely leaving his room. He tells his mother that he’s sick, and while it’s a poor excuse, she doesn’t question him. Sitting on the bed with the covers pulled up over his head, he’ll wind up the music box Levi had given to him over and over again, only stopping when the tears flow over to bury his head into the pillow. He’s going away, Levi’s going away before Eren had even had the chance for anything.

He accompanies Levi to the train station against his better judgement, each step heavy and painful, but this is something he has to do. Something, something, he has to do something before Levi slips away from him for good. This cannot be how it ends.

They’re about fifteen minutes early, and since the platform is completely empty except for the two of them, Eren leans over and lightly brushes his lips against Levi’s.

“No,” Levi says as soon as Eren’s drawn back, suddenly gone completely rigid. “You’re seventeen.”

“I’ll be eighteen next year,” Eren points out, his heart pounding in his ears.

“Still not really all that grown up in my opinion,” Levi says, at last looking at Eren, and there’s something in his expression that makes Eren feel hopeful.

“But legally an adult.”

Levi looks off into the distance, letting out a sigh. “You’ll have time to change your mind. But if you don’t, come see me next year and show me how much you’ve improved practicing by yourself.”

It’s the best he’ll get, it seems, and now Eren’s more driven than ever to keep playing. He lingers on the platform long after Levi’s train has disappeared beyond the horizon, and though there are still tears threatening to escape, he wills himself not to cry. A year isn’t forever, especially now that he has a new resolve to impress Levi.

\---

Sina conservatory is huge, Eren finds out when he makes the ten-hour trip there only a month after turning eighteen. He’d gotten a hotel room near the campus, and even with a map, it takes him a good few hours of wandering to find the administration building. All the buildings look the same, adorned with elaborate cornerstones and large windows, and while Eren had grown up in the midst of opulence, this is unlike anything he’s ever seen.

After he asks for professor Ackerman, he’s directed to the small concert hall where he’s apparently testing equipment for the recitals that start next week. Even more wandering follows, but with some directions from kind passers-by, he finds his way to the small concert hall. It’s dim inside, and with no-one to be seen in the foyer, Eren heads straight for the auditorium.

There’s a piano and some boxes right in the middle of the stage, and Eren feels inexplicably drawn to them as he walks down along the aisle. There’s no one sitting in the audience so he doesn’t think twice about climbing up the stairs and on to the stage. This particular piano seems to be a newer model than the one they have at home, its polished surface gleaming under the lights, but as Eren presses down at a single key he finds the sound just as soothing as back home.

“I hope that’s not all you’ve learned while I was gone,” a familiar voice drawls out from somewhere behind him, and as Eren turns around, he sees Levi standing near the side, the faintest of smiles lingering on his lips. He looks just as Eren had remembered, though perhaps a little more well-dressed now than before.

“What if it is?” he questions just for the sake of it.

“Then I’ll have to teach you all over again, won’t I?” He strolls closer, stopping only a short distance away from Eren with his stare fixed solely on him. “Why are you here?”

“You know why I’m here,” Eren replies and for a few tense moments, they merely stare at each other. He’s not sure which one of them initiates it, but soon they’re kissing, only softly but it’s still a kiss and Eren’s head is spinning wildly and he fears his knees might give out any moment, but luckily Levi’s wrapping an arm around him and keeping him grounded.

Levi lets out a tiny sigh against his lips after they’ve broken apart. “I knew you were going to be trouble from our very first lesson,” he complains, sounding more amused than annoyed. “Have you stopped punching your poor piano?"

“Not entirely,” Eren replies, comfortable heart bursting up at his chest when he sees Levi smiling at him in that deliciously intimate way he’s craved all these years. “But I have gotten pretty good in your absence.”

“Really, now?” Levi says, raising a brow at the statement as he draws back the bench by the piano. “Show me?”

Eren sits down, and Levi sits next to him, the pressure of his shoulder against Eren’s so comforting that Eren thinks he could honestly stay here forever. It’s been such a long time, and all those times he’s played alone he’s sorely missed this. All is right in the world now, Levi’s here with him and there is no place Eren would rather be.

He could and would just stay here forever and only drink in Levi’s presence if it were possible, but his hands are itching to press down at the ivory and ebony keys and Levi’s looking at him expectantly so he does the only thing he can - he plays.


	23. tile

He stumbles upon the hot springs completely at random. According to his knowledge, there’s not even supposed to be a hot springs in this area, but lo and behold, there it is, perched at the end of the narrow forest path like it had always stood there. It’s more of a pleasant surprise to Levi who’s spent the last few months on the run and sleeping wherever he could, so he’s more relieved than perplexed at the sight of the small wooden sign that informs him he’s just arrived at Shiganshina Hot Springs. **  
**

Upon entering the main building, the first thing he notices is the elaborate tiled mosaic in the middle of the floor in the lobby. It depicts a gushing spring surrounded by smooth rocks and lush ferns, the amount of detail unlike anything he’s ever seen. Though understated, the lobby has a sturdy wooden reception desk and a few benches scattered by the walls, along with doors that presumably lead further into the springs. What matters to Levi is that he now has a roof over his head, and, hopefully, a place where he can rest for a while.

The receptionist has brilliantly green eyes that stare into Levi’s very soul as he nervously stammers that he’d like to rent a room, if possible. It will be a good few weeks, Levi says, he’s not quite sure yet. Yes, it would probably be most convenient for him to pay the bill in whole on the day of his departure. He doesn’t have a single penny to his name, and though he’s cheated his way into numerous inns and motels in his life, his hands are unexpectedly clammy as he takes the room key handed to him.

“Take the left hand door and follow the path past the fish pond and you’ll arrive by the cabins. Yours is the second one, number 102,” the receptionist tells him, sizing up Levi like he knows exactly what had led him here. “Enjoy your stay.”

The cabins are perched side by side, all of them fairly small. He gets the door unlocked after a couple of tries, and after going inside, makes sure that it locks behind him. Though the sun has set hours ago and he can barely see anything, he doesn’t dare to turn on the lights. It doesn’t seem like there are any lights, for that matter, but he does find a candle sitting on the nightstand. A little odd, yes, but as soon as he sits down on the bed, he’s overcome with such a heavy fatigue that his eyes close almost on their own, and only a few minutes later he’s laying on top of the covers sound asleep.

\---

The welcome booklet on top of the dresser had told him that breakfast would be served in the dining hall in the main building. Curiously enough, it hadn’t mentioned any hours. _Come when you will,_ the text reads, and so far every morning when Levi’s been there the buffet has still been out, stacked with fruits and oatmeal and freshly baked bread. He’ll pile all of them on his plate in generous amounts before retreating to the corner of the room to eat, warily eyeing at the other patrons that pass by.

The rest of the day he’ll often spend sleeping. That, or watching the bright orange fish that swim in the pond. By the fourth day he’s finally convinced that no-one has followed him here, and even allows himself to sit by the windows at breakfast and watch the bluebirds teetering on the branches of the nearby birch trees.

That’s also the first morning he actually talks to one of the other patrons who happens to take a seat at the same table with him. She’s an older woman who kindly asks Levi if he minds her company, and of course he doesn’t have the heart to say no. Apparently she adores the apple pie served at the buffet, frequently going for seconds and thirds and fourths. Even so, there always seems to be more than enough apple pie for everyone else, too, even though Levi never sees any servers or cooks filling up the buffet. He mentions this to the woman, but she merely waves him off.

“They must know that I love it by now, I bet they make extra portions just for me,” she’ll giggle into her tea. Levi has no idea who ‘they’ are, and though he tries to ask, the only staff member the woman manages to name is Eren, who, according to her, has the loveliest green eyes she’s ever seen.

The hot springs only seems to have a handful of patrons, though, most of them who Levi sees at breakfast, so it’s feasible that they don’t have that much staff, either. Even so, the food is always excellent, and Levi ends up sneaking much of it back into his room to eat for lunch and dinner. The place does offer room service, but he already feels guilty for mooching off of such a small establishment that’s probably run by a family or something like that.

However, now that the old woman is joining him for breakfast every morning, the task of smuggling food into his room becomes much more difficult. As such, one evening he finds himself tiptoeing along the path to the dining room, his apprehension growing with each step. It’s shameful, yes, but he doesn’t have a choice. It’ll just be a couple of seconds, he’ll grab some bread or cheese or fruits from the kitchen, just enough for one person. No-one will notice such a small amount going missing, right?

The whole building is dark and quiet, the sound of his bare feet against the wooden floor sounding far too loud to his own ears as he makes his way across the empty dining room. The door leading into the kitchen opens with a slight squeak, and as soon as he’s over the threshold, he stops in his tracks, listening for any sign that he may have been found out. All is silent, thankfully, so he sets to work looking through the cupboards.

By the third one, he’s growing desperate. Nothing. Not a single crumb of bread or a lonely apple anywhere. Every single cupboard and chest and closet in the kitchen is completely empty.

In fact, now that Levi takes a closer look, the stove looks like it’s brand new, almost like it had never been used even though there are eggs and bacon served at breakfast every day. Not a single speck of grease anywhere. For fuck’s sake, he can’t even find a frying pan in any of the cupboards though he checks all of them twice. It’s too clean and tidy, even for a professional kitchen.

Dejected, he slinks off and heads back to his cabin, so damn hungry that he considers diving in after the fish in the pond. Thankfully so, because as soon as he steps inside, he’s met with the tempting scent of spices and cooked meat.

There, on the desk in front of the window, right next to the potted plant, is a bowl of thick steaming broth, along with a wooden spoon and a tall glass of water. He stands still for a long while, as if fearing that the dish might attack him at any moment, until finally taking one step, then a few more until he’s lowering himself to sit down on the chair that’s been pulled back just slightly, almost like inviting him to come and eat. He doesn’t know if he should - maybe this is a trap, maybe he’s been found out somehow and the food is poisoned.

It’s too late now, because he’s already raising the bowl to his lips and taking a long gulp. The rich flavor glides over his tongue as he swallows the broth down, tasting garlic and thyme and sage and a dozen other things at the same time. There are generous chunks of what seems like beef along with potatoes and carrots, and though it’s a fairly simple dish, Levi swears it’s the best thing he’s ever tasted.

After he’s very nearly licked the bowl clean and downed all the water, he sits there for a long while, staring at the dark forest outside and half-expecting to see someone amongst the foliage. The food hadn’t gotten there all by itself, and while it had been delicious, he does have his doubts.

The very next morning he marches to the front desk with bowl in hand where’s he’s greeted by the pretty-eyed receptionist who’s apparently named Eren.

“How may I help you?” he asks with a pleasant smile and suddenly Levi forgets what he was going to say.  
  
Instead he plops the bowl down on to the desk with a loud clatter. “Someone came into my room without my permission and left food there,” he ends up saying.

“Oh? Did it not taste good?” Eren questions with raised brows, as if that was really the issue here.

“It did, but I didn’t ask for any food,” Levi replies, shifting his weight from one feet to the other. It’s so unnerving being observed by those piercing green eyes, and maybe he’s just imagining it, but Eren looks almost amused.

“Alright, let me see.”  He types at the keyboard of the ancient blocky computer he has behind his desk for a moment or two. “Seems like room 101 ordered dinner and it was accidentally delivered to you. Our apologies. Could I offer you complimentary a massage or a spa treatment to make up for your trouble?”

“What, no, no,” he’s quick to respond, already backing away. “I don’t want anything like that, just… please don’t send anyone or anything into my room without letting me know first.”

“Will do. Enjoy the rest of your day,” Eren calls out in a cheery voice, but Levi’s already slinking off.

Since his gaze is trained on the floor in order to avoid Eren’s captivating eyes, it’s only natural that he takes note of the tiled mosaic on the floor of the lobby that depicts a mermaid playing a harp while being carried by the waves. He’s not sure why it catches his attention - in that moment he’s more focused on getting back to his cabin without embarrassing himself further. It’s only later when he thinks about it, and he could’ve sworn the tiles had made up a completely different picture than when he’d first arrived.

\---

Eren’s suggestion lingers at the back of his mind, so later in the evening, Levi finds himself padding along the path that leads to the actual hot springs themselves. While he’s not as ungrateful as to demand free stuff, maybe a simple soak in the springs would ease his nerves. Even though he has now spent a whole week staying here, he hasn’t dared to take a bath in the springs even once.

There’s no one else outside at such a late hour, and though Levi peers towards the cabin next to him which is supposedly number 101, he sees no signs of life. Maybe the person staying there has already left, who knows. He considers sneaking to the window and peeking inside, but in the end he decides against it.

There are lanterns placed along the path that light his way, casting long shadows at the ground that resemble bony fingers just itching to reach towards Levi and snatch him into the darkness. Thankfully the path soon ends and brings him to a small building, the sign by the door telling him that he’s arrived at the dressing rooms and reminding him to wash himself before entering the springs. He does just that, grabbing a fluffy white towel off the shelf to wrap around his waist before leaving out the back door.

After stepping off the back patio, he finds himself in a small clearing, and in the middle of that clearing, surrounded by flat rocks and a few bushes, is the hot spring. It’s a fairly large one, steam rising up from its surface into the cool night air, a few more lanterns suspended above it from ropes tied to the tree branches. It is kind of atmospheric, Levi has to admit, his feet carrying him closer until he’s crouched down right next to it, dipping his hand into the water to test the temperature. It’s pleasantly hot, especially for such a cold fall evening, and soon Levi’s setting aside his towel and lowering himself down into the spring’s embrace.

It’s unlike any regular old bath he’s taken, mainly because of the constant low bubbling sound that carries over to his ears. The spring isn’t very deep, and even as he sinks down to sit at the bottom and leans back against the edge, the water only reaches up to his neck. He draws his lungs full of the fresh forest air, willing the muscles in his shoulders to relax, content to merely exist in this place and time.

Okay, he should’ve definitely gone for a swim on his very first day, because this is the most soothing thing he’s ever experienced.

He doesn’t know how long he sits there, his body feeling loose and heavy as he lets the water carry away his aches and worries. At one point he nearly dozes off, and that’s when he decides that it might be best to retire for the night. He takes his time, though, drying off his torso as he sits on one of the rocks with his legs still soaking in the spring. There’s a particularly lush fern growing next to him, and he strokes over its soft leaves idly as he watches bubbles rising up to the surface of the water deep from within the ground. This place, the whole atmosphere, feels like he’s stepped into a whole different world. That might just be wishful thinking on his part, though.

“What am I going to do?” he asks the fern, blowing out a long sigh. “Tell me.”

The fern doesn’t tell him anything. Of course not. He’s the one who got himself into this mess with no money in his pocket and no place to call home. This place is as good as any other, he supposes, at least until he gets kicked out for not paying his bill.

“Thank you,” he says to the spring and to the fern and to everything else under the clear starry sky, since his gratitude is all he has to offer.

\---

On one morning just after breakfast, Levi sees a plant jump up from its pot by the windowsill of the dining room and run across the floor.

The old woman who used to accompany him every morning isn’t here anymore, so Levi’s gone back to sitting near the corner. it offers a good overall view of the room and of the other patrons, and often he’ll be the last one to leave. He’s just dropped a grape on to the floor and hey, five second rule, so he bends down under the table to pick it up without second thought. As he emerges again, he sees that damn plant propelling itself up with its roots, using them like any human might use their legs as it jogs to the buffet, its leaves reaching out like hands to pick up some of the half-empty bowls and serving dishes.

It’s soon joined by two other plants - all of them gerberas, he thinks, their flowers light pink in color - rising up from their pots who set to work collecting the dirty dishes from the tables, and it’s such an absurd display that the only thing Levi can do is watch them in mute amazement.

He gives an awkward cough and the plants freeze in place before turning to look at him - wait, no, of course they can’t be looking at him since they have no eyes, but that’s what the action reminds him of. They stare at each other for a long moment in complete silence, until at last Levi pushes his chair back.

“May I give you a hand?” he asks, gesturing at all the dishes and leftovers, because it’s honestly the first thing he thinks of. It’s an awful lot of work for just a couple of potted plants, and since he has no intention to pay, he could at least do something to pull his weight around here.

The plants seem to consider this suggestion for a moment, but eventually the one by the buffet gives what seems like a nod and urges him to follow it to the kitchen with some expressive wriggling of its roots. Once there, it dumps the bowls it had been holding into the sink and hands Levi a broom and a dustpan, mimicking to sweep the floor, which, thankfully, is kind of universal. That’s what Levi ends up doing, circling between tables and collecting stray pieces of toast and sausages and eggs with his broom and dustpan. Though small in size, the plants work quite fast, skipping between the kitchen and the dining room with ease, and Levi thinks he can hear the kind of clattering from the other room that would suggest that one of them is doing the dishes.

After he’s finished sweeping under and around the tables, Levi dumps the contents of his dustpan into the garbage in the kitchen. One of the plants jumps up on to the counter to give him a pat on the back with its roots. It’s a sweet gesture, and against all odds, Levi finds himself smiling at it.

“Thank you for the food,” he calls out to the plants as they hop back towards their pots, and though they have very limited means of expressing themselves, they look almost confused for a moment. One of them gives a shakes of its flowers as if to say, _no, we don’t cook around here, we just clean_ before burying itself back into the pot, and though Levi stares at all three of them inquisitively for a while even after they’ve settled down, he doesn’t get any answers.

Ever since that day, Levi starts looking at all plants inside and outside the springs differently.

The grassweed growing next to the fish pond seems to sway towards him whenever he passes by, even on days when it’s not very windy, so he makes it a habit to greet it every time. There are a lot of plants and bushes and flowers that he doesn’t even recognize, but just to be sure, he decides to be as kind to them as he can. Though he knows next to nothing about biology or nature, he somehow succeeds in finding a lot of wild raspberries and strawberries without even trying, and each time he remembers to thank them for being there.

Even without too much knowledge about plants, Levi’s pretty sure they’re not supposed to be walking around and acting like humans and trying to communicate. Suddenly the thought that he might have stepped into an another world doesn’t seem so implausible anymore.

As crazy as it may seem, he finds himself talking to every single plant he meets. The one in the pot in his cabin, the violets planted in an old barrel near the main entrance, even the small rose growing in an old porcelain pot by the reception desk. Luckily Eren’s not there to witness his attempts, because the mere thought of those green eyes sends nervous flutters through him. While he’s catching up with the rose, though, he just so happen to lay eyes on the ancient computer, the screen completely dark. In fact, Levi doesn’t even see a cord or a plug anywhere at the wall, and when he carefully nudges at the monitor, it feels like it’s just an empty shell instead of a real computer.

Before going to chat with the lilacs growing by the pond, Levi takes a careful look at the tiled mosaic at the middle of the floor. It shows a peaceful scene of a riverbank with wildflowers and weeds along with a large gray fish jumping up from the water, and though it’s quite detailed and beautiful, he’s sure that he’s never seen it before.

\---

On such a clear, cloudless night, Levi can’t help but to feel drawn to the spring again. This time the weather is not as cool as before, so he spends a good while soaking in the hot water, so at ease and relaxed that he honestly feels like staying there forever. Even the sound of light footsteps from behind him no longer startles him, because somehow he knows just who it is.

“It’s quite late to be bathing at this hour,” Eren’s voice calls out, and soon he’s sitting down on the ground right next to Levi, his inquisitive stare fixed on him.

“Yeah. Just felt like staying here for a while. It’s pretty nice.” Damn, why is he feeling so nervous? It probably has something to do with the fact that he’s, you know, completely naked, but even so, that doesn’t fully explain why the mere thought of Eren makes him feel dizzy.

“It is,” Eren admits with a slight smile, and despite of all his nervousness, Levi cannot drag his eyes away from this man. His eyes seem to glow in the fading light, his whole presence radiating an ethereal aura that somehow makes him look even more beautiful than before.

“You’re not a human,” Levi blurts out without really thinking, not surprised in the least when Eren says nothing to deny it. After a moment of silence he goes on, “I don’t have any money to pay you, by the way.”

Now Eren looks almost offended, a tiny frown rising to his features. “I don’t deal in such useless things as money,” he states. “Ah, and besides, no-one’s stayed here for as long as you have. They all leave eventually.”

They’re both quiet for a while, and Levi thinks that Eren looks almost sad as he gazes at the bubbles rising to the surface. Goodness knows what exactly he is, but if it’s just him and the plants, it must get pretty lonely at times. People come and go, no, _humans_ come and go, but Eren’s not a human, so he stays.

“I can’t leave. I have nowhere to go,” Levi sighs, glancing at Eren shyly from the corner of his eye. “So if you need any help around here, with running the place and cleaning and serving food and stuff, you know, I could do that. If you wanted to, of course.”

Eren looks at him, properly looks at him. In fact, he reaches out to cup Levi’s jaw with both hands and forces him to meet his intense emerald eyes, and as Levi gazes into them, he sees whole lifetimes of solitude buried in those depths.

“Why?” Eren asks him, and it sounds almost like a challenge.

“You’re interesting. This place is interesting,” Levi replies, being completely honest for what might be the first time in his life.

“You’re not afraid of me?” Eren asks, genuine wonderment in voice.

“I have no reason to,” he says, and there are so many things he wants to say, that Eren’s the most beautiful creature that he’s ever met and that this place is the first one where Levi’s ever felt like at home and besides, how could someone like Eren, someone with such a gentle smile and all the forests in the world in the green of his eyes be frightening.

He doesn’t say any of this out loud, though he’d sorely like to. Eren’s expression softens a little, and even in the dim light, Levi thinks he sees the faintest shade of pink bloom across his cheeks. “Alright then. It’s a deal.”


	24. sail

The ocean is much bluer and wider than any one of them could have imagined, stretching out into the horizon, seemingly endless and so, so beautiful. **  
**

They build their settlement right there, only a couple of shacks at first, but apparently word carries back to Sina in a matter of months since they’re soon joined by more soldiers and even a few adventurous civilians. With the threat of titans now nonexistent, they can focus on developing infrastructure, roads and water pipes and houses, trading their blades for shovels and hammers. Slowly yet surely, a small town is born by the shore of the brightly shimmering ocean.

This time Levi’s glad to let the younger ones take over. It’s not like he’d be that useful with his bad leg, anyway, so he’s content to simply wake up each morning to watch the sunrise and the sea from the window of his cabin. He’d specifically asked for his dwelling to be built somewhere peaceful with a good view, and Armin, who’d been responsible for planning out all construction so far, had clearly listened, placing the spacious yet simple cabin on top of a slight hill with large windows looking out over the water. The others live closer to the shoreline, houses almost wall to wall, but even so, Levi’s house isn’t that far away from them, either.

Well, it’s not just Levi’s house since now Eren’s living with him, too. It had been a natural progression, and though they hadn’t been all that public about their relationship, no-one had really been surprised when one evening Eren had nervously announced that they’d be sharing a house. Armin had only given a nod and Jean had wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at the two of them, but that had been it.

It’s the two of them, in their shared home, and though it’s been like that for a good few months, the thought still makes Levi feel giddy.

Eren’s grown even taller, now in well in his twenties and still just as achingly handsome as before. He’d stopped cutting his hair at some point, merely tying it up in a bun or a ponytail to keep it out of the way. He still works harder than anyone, whether it’s hunting and gathering food from the surrounding forests or unloading shipments of construction supplies from within the walls. Building is the only thing he’s not very eager to take on, simply because it requires such a great deal of patience and accuracy that he’ll end up tossing the tools aside sooner or later in frustration.

Of course, he’s just as inquisitive and determined as before, so naturally he’s the first one who starts talking about an expedition.

They’re downing a few drinks at the pub, their former squad along with him and Erwin and Hanji. It had been Sasha’s and Connie’s idea to set up a pub, since according to them every proper town had to have at least one pub where you could get a pint of frothy ale and freshly cooked comfort food. With warm bread and butter and cheese at their table and a pint of ale in front of him - and not to mention with Eren’s shoulder pressed up against his in the small booth and their fingers laced lightly together under the table - it’s the most comfortable Levi’s felt in a long while.

“Where do you think it ends?” Eren asks just then, the light from the candles on the walls making his eyes burn even brighter than usual. “The ocean, I mean.”

All of them ponder the question for a while in silence, Armin being the first to speak up. “Probably at an another shore somewhere. Somewhere really far away.”

“We should go there,” Eren says after swallowing down the mouthful he’d been chewing on. “To the next shore. Who knows what we could find?”

“Oh, to be young again,” Hanji sighs into her drink. “I don’t think these old bones could take such an adventure.”

“There could be titans there,” Mikasa points out with a frown, and though she had clearly intended it as more of a warning, Hanji suddenly looks kind of interested. “We would have to be prepared for anything.”

“Maybe there’s even more oceans beyond this one,” Armin wonders out loud, staring off into the distance. “Dozens of shores and dozens of wide, uncharted oceans.”

Though it had been only an idea at first, soon it grows into something more, and it’s not long until Armin’s drawn up plans for a modest harbor. The ship is a whole different issue, because none of them really know what kind of a ship it requires to make it across a whole ocean. Even Armin’s books contain very little information on this matter, so before taking on such a challenging projects, there are many blueprints and heated discussions, which also gives them plenty of time to prepare for their first expedition beyond the ocean.

“You should come with us,” Eren tells him on one rainy night when they’re curled up in front of the fireplace.

“I’ve had my fair share of adventures. Now it’s your turn.” He runs his lips along Eren’s knuckles in a gentle caress, watching the orange flames licking at the wood. “As much as I hate to see you go.”

Eren laughs into his ear, such a warm, intimate sound that sends pleasant little flutters down to the pit of Levi’s stomach. “I’ll bring back something nice for you. Maybe an exotic plant or even gold, who knows.”

“Just bring yourself back all in one piece, that’s more than enough,” he states quietly, going on in a little less serious tone, “Can titans swim, by the way? That would be really handy, you could just carry everyone on your back if the ship sinks.”

He’ll have to ask Hanji about that one of these days, but for now he’s just happy to listen to Eren’s rich, low voice painting visions of unexplored lands and faraway beaches just waiting to be discovered by someone, hopefully by them. This boy has grown so much, he’s grown into a man, one who’s not afraid of the unknown but who instead dives in to it headfirst without any hesitation. Sure, he’s become more patient and level-headed with age, but even so, he’s held on to that youthful enthusiasm and joy that had made Levi fall in love with him in the first place. After all these years, Levi couldn’t be prouder of his boy, no, of his man.

The day of their departure comes much sooner than any of them would have expected, and despite of Levi’s doubts, the ship floats perfectly. They’ve tested it every which way, so all that’s left to do is load it up and set sail. Eren spends long evenings in the harbor, but when he comes back he’ll curl up next to Levi in their shared bed and nuzzle into the crook of his neck with a sigh, asleep only minutes later. Sleep doesn’t come to Levi as easily, though. Often he’ll lay awake for long after, listening to the sound of Eren’s breathing as he thinks how much he’ll miss this.

But even so, Eren leaves. He doesn’t do a damn thing to stop it, because this is something that Eren truly wants, that much he can tell from the excited glint in his eyes whenever he starts talking about the expedition. He lets Eren go - though only for a while, he reminds himself, it won’t be forever - because selfishly binding him down would be even worse. Eren can fend off for himself just fine, and in fact, Levi knows he will go on to do great things.

He tells himself these things and more over and over again, but it still doesn’t stop him from clinging on to Eren far too tightly when they’re saying goodbye.

“Take care of yourself,” he whispers, nose buried in Eren’s shoulder as he inhales his scent deeply in order to remember it for as long as he can - leather, apples, pine needles and the faintest hint of Levi’s cologne that he’d insisted on borrowing for the expedition.

(“I want to keep at least something of yours with me,” Eren had muttered with a faint blush blooming over his cheeks, and Levi swears he’d died a little at that adorable face. “So that I don’t forget what it’s like holding you in my arms.”)

Now he’s grinning brightly, and he even has the audacity to ruffle Levi’s hair as if he were a damn dog or something. “You, too. I’ll be back before you know it,” he promises, and Levi doesn’t doubt him for a single moment.

He watches with Hanji and Erwin as the ship glides across the calm surface of the water, the light wind puffing up the pristine white sails that grow smaller and smaller with each passing moment. Eventually they disappear from sight and the ship is barely a tiny dot in the horizon, and after that, it’s gone altogether. All that remains is the quiet wash of the waves against the shore.

—

It’s quieter without Eren around.

On the first couple of mornings, Levi almost enjoys it. He has time to himself now, all the time in the world to climb out of bed that feels all too wide and cold for just one person and fix breakfast for himself. His leg is especially difficult during the mornings, and though usually he bears the pain and tries to walk as normally as he can in order to not worry Eren, now he’s free to hop and hobble like the old man he is without having someone fuss over him.

After the novelty of it has worn off, he starts watching the horizon for while sails. Realistically he knows that Eren will be gone for several months instead of just stay, but even so, every time he looks out over the water he expects to see white sails in the distance. Each morning he’ll sit by the kitchen table for a long while, filling up his cup again and again as he watches the ocean.

It’s just him, now, but each morning still he makes enough tea for two people.

His days are mostly spent in the garden where he and Eren had planted potatoes and some other vegetables, along with some flowers simply because Eren had thought they looked pretty. It’s not quite ready for harvest yet, but he hopes it will be by the time Eren returns. Levi vows to take good care of them until then, watering them on particularly sunny, hot days and even talking to them. It helps them grow, at least according to Eren, and though he’s not sure if there’s any truth to that, he remembers how he’d watched Eren crouched in between the rows as he asked the plants about their day and how his heart gave a funny little flip in his chest, so he figures that it’s something he should keep doing in Eren’s absence.

That’s where he finds the cat, perched under the green leaves and hissing at him as he tries to approach. It’s a scruffy little creature with matted fur and a piece of its left ear missing, all in all making for a miserable sight as it sits there, angry yellow eyes following Levi’s every movement. They merely stare at each other for a while, because whenever Levi tries to step closed the cat will let out a low yowl, its tail puffing up as it flashes its teeth at Levi.

“You’re ugly,” he tells the cat. “Go away.”

The cat doesn’t heed his advice but only continues to sit there like it owns the damn yard, so Levi decides to leave it alone. Live and let live, and all that. As if encouraged by this, the cat keeps coming back each morning, lingering amongst the leaves and digging at the ground with its paws, presumably looking for something to eat.

He almost feels sorry for the thing, really. It’s terribly skinny and it looks like it’s missing half of its hind leg, a fact which somehow makes him feel a little protective of the little pest. It probably can’t hunt very efficiently like that, so that’s how Levi gets the idea to set out some food for it.

Just a little bit of food, okay, it’s no big deal. He still cooks for two people even though it’s just him now, so there’s no good reason not to offer the leftovers to the poor cat. Eren would laugh at him and tell him he’s growing soft with age, but even so, he’d like to think that Eren would grow quite attached to the cat - he’s always been fond of animals of all shapes and sizes, especially stray ones, which this cat seems to be.

On one sunny morning - no white sails in the horizon today, either - the cat even lets Levi pet him, and though its fur is incredibly dirty, Levi finds himself smiling.

The cat makes its home in his cabin eventually, its favorite sleeping place in front of the fireplace. It purrs hoarsely whenever Levi scratches behind its ears and likes to beg for scraps whenever Levi’s eating, which he’ll give to it after a few moments of hesitation. He even succeeds in bathing it, though he comes away with quite a few scratches, and after that the cat is much nicer to look at.

As ridiculous as it probably is, he tells the cat about Eren, and it sits on the table with him as he watches the ocean and waits for white sails to appear.

“Eren would like you,” he says, petting under its chin. “Both you and him are really damn stubborn.”

The cat lets out a quiet meow in response and curls up on the table, its yellow eyes falling closed as it settles for a nap. Levi stays for a long while and watches the sun climb upwards and paint his kitchen with golden light, but even though he sits there until his tea has gone cold, no sails appear in the horizon.

—

At some point, Levi gives up watching for the ship.

It just sort of happens without much conscious thought, but when he realizes he’s no longer expecting to see white sails when he looks out the window, he has to sit down for a while and take some deep breaths to calm himself down.

It’s been months now. In fact, he’s already harvested all the vegetables in the garden and stored them in their cellar for the rapidly approaching winter. The nights are colder now, and though the cat resists a little at first, Levi brings it in to sleep in the bed with him every night. Apparently it senses his distress somehow, settling by his pillow and purring away in an effort to soothe him. Granted, it doesn’t help much, but Levi appreciates it nonetheless.

He has nightmares of the ship sinking, of those white sails being torn to shreds by strong winds and all of the crew being swallowed by the merciless dark ocean. His Eren, gone forever in the embrace of the cold water, with his last thoughts perhaps of Levi and of their home before the light dims from his eyes. Whenever he stirs awake from those dreams he cannot go back to sleep, merely staring at the ceiling with his heart pounding in his ears as he waits for the hours to pass and for morning to finally dawn.

Of course, it would make sense that the sails appear just as he’s given all hope. When he looks outside he first just thinks there’s a funny shaped cloud lingering by the horizon, so he goes on with his morning without second thought. After cooking himself and the cat some breakfast, he comes back, sits down by the table and sees it, finally sees the ship.

He watches it all the while as it sails closer, and by the time it’s docking into the harbor, he has to get up and wash the dishes because he physically cannot sit still. After that, he meticulously sweeps the floor of the cabin, and after that, airs out the pillows and duvet. He scrubs every surface as clean as he can, and even after he’s run out of things to do, he keeps straightening out each furniture and moving things back and forth aimlessly, all the while listening for the sound of Eren footsteps outside.

Eren returns a little past noon, but what alerts Levi to his presence is not his footsteps but rather the sound of his voice talking quietly to someone. It’s the cat, he notices after glancing outside. The cat has gone out to greet Eren, sitting in the middle of their garden and tilting its head up to be pet, and Eren’s talking to it with the goofiest smile on his face.

“I knew it would like you,” Levi states from the doorway and watches Eren’s head snap up, those beautiful green eyes lighting up instantly.

He has so many stories to tell, and all Levi can do is listen. They end up sitting by the fire as Eren tells about their journey and of all the things they saw. His excitement is contagious, and Levi finds himself smiling as he watches Eren. He looks just the same as before, his hair maybe a little longer and those already wide shoulders a little more muscled, but he’s still his Eren, still just as excitable and lively and handsome as before.

So much has happened to them that one night simply isn’t enough for it all, which is why Eren promises that they’ll all meet up in the pub tomorrow to share everything before he leans down to kiss Levi, his lips soft and inviting.

“I missed you,” he sighs, his hand creeping under the back of Levi’s shirt. “My sweetheart.”

“Me too. You have no idea,” Levi mutters, reminded of all the dreams where he’d seen Eren die in a hundred different ways.

Instead of mentioning them he draws Eren in for an another kiss. They have time, plenty of time for him to run his fingers along each and every one of Eren’s firm muscles and listen to the beat of his heart and confirm that he really is here, he’s alive and finally back in Levi’s arms.

(“Not in front of the cat,” Eren complains with a nod towards the fluffy beast that’s sleeping by the fire when Levi slips his hand down in his pants. “He’s so innocent.”

Levi rolls his eyes but they move to the bed anyway, and now that Eren’s there with him, it no longer feels as empty and cold as before.) 


	25. meringue

During the three years he and Petra have owned the small café and bakery that’s perched near the centre of town, they’ve established a comfortable routine. Petra’s the one running the front since she’s always been annoyingly good with people, and he’s working in the kitchen because he’s, well, he’s always been himself. It’s not that he dislikes their customers or people in general, but he just doesn’t quite know how to talk to them, especially about nothing in particular - that’s something Petra’s very talented in, discussing about the weather and other pointless things.

For fuck’s sake, does it really matter how hard it’s raining outside? Anyone with half a brain can tell what the weather is like, there’s no reason to point it out like that.

Levi’s a man of action rather than words, so he feels quite at home in the kitchen among his pots of flour and sugar and spices, coming in to work before the sun’s risen to create all sorts of pastries and cakes and other delicacies. Tiny macarons, chunky yet moist cupcakes and apple crumb pie among many others are created by his skilled hands, each more tempting than the other, and while he doesn’t like to brag, he knows that their delicious treats are exactly what get the customers to come back time and time again.

Usually he clocks out by noon after helping Petra through the lunch rush, but on one particular day she all but begs him to stay for a couple hours longer, even though the café is nearly empty.

“I have to clean out the back storage, I swear it’ll only be a while,” she tells him before leaving him in charge of the register, patting him on the shoulder cheerfully. “Come and get me if you need anything.”

With that, she’s off, and Levi’s left standing behind the counter where he’s wildly out of his comfort zone. He’s a baker, not a perky little waitress like Petra who succeeds in striking up a pleasant conversation with literally everyone. Damn it, he’s pretty sure he still has flour in his hair and smudges all over his apron, not to mention the constant resting bitchface he’s been told he has. His presence will only ward off customers, if anything.

A couple of hours pass by and Levi serves some sweet old ladies who settle for just plain old coffee and some cookies without any incident. A couple of hours is all he’d promised to stay for but Petra’s still off rummaging through the storage. It’s a fairly quiet day so Levi figures that she could handle it on her own, and is just about to announce to her that she’s leaving, but then the bell above the front door chimes, signalling the arrival of yet another customer. He cusses internally from where he’s currently restocking the display with the macadamia cookies he’d made this morning, deciding that he’ll be out the door as soon as he’s served this one.

“Excuse me, what are these ones?” the person who’d just wondered inside calls out, and now that Levi finally looks at him for the first time he’s left speechless for just a moment.

For starters, he has the greenest eyes Levi’s ever seen, framed by thick, dark lashes, and just below that there are carefree batches of freckles dotted along his cheeks. His wispy brown hair reaches just over the nape of his neck, the strong lines of his jaw perfectly accentuated as he cranes his head to get a better look at the pastries. Which, mind you, have very clear signs telling their contents and prices, and even though this boy looks like an actual angel, he could do well with also learning to read.

Oh, right, the gorgeous stranger had asked him a question. He should probably answer that. Unfortunately he seems to have completely forgotten what that question was.

“Uh, excuse me?” Levi stammers out, and suddenly those lovely bright eyes are staring at him instead of the pastries and he’s so incredibly fucked because he can feel the traitorous blush creeping up along his neck even though he tries to stop it.

“These, the pink ones. What are they?” the beautiful creature asks again, pointing his finger at the heart-shaped strawberry meringues Levi had lovingly piped that morning.

“They’re strawberry meringues,” he replies, his own voice sounding so feeble and nervous to his own ears. If he’d known that such an ethereal being was going to walk into their café he would’ve at least worn a clean apron and maybe picked up the empty plates and cups from the tables by the window since those are obviously the best seats in the house and somehow he wants to offer only the best for this customer in particular.

“Ooh, they look tasty.” He’s reaching into his bag now and soon pulling out his wallet. “I’ll have one of those, then, and the usual.”

Levi blinks once, and then for a second time. “The what, now?” Maybe it’s some fancy ass barista word he’s never heard of, because other than that, he’s never seen this guy in his life. He’s pretty sure he’d remember such a stunning face.

He looks at Levi for a moment, almost surprised until melting into the prettiest smile Levi’s ever been graced with. “Sorry! Your wife’s the one to serve me most often. I come here almost every day and always get the same drink,” he says with a flowing laugh. “That’s a double chocolate cappuccino with extra whipped cream.”

One word in particular sticks out to Levi more than anything else. “She’s not my wife,” he blurts out, and it comes across sounding much ruder than he’d intended. “We’re just business partners, we went to the same school and stuff.”

“Oh. Okay.” Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking, but he thinks he sees something shift a little in his beautiful customer’s expression at that as he eyes Levi from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. “Is she taking a day off today?”

“No,” Levi says, and since he can’t think of anything else to say, he simply reads out the amount showing on the cash register. “Three dollars and seventy cents.”

While Eren’s fishes out a crisp five dollar bill from his wallet, Levi turns his attention to the large coffee machine he’s never operated before. They have a regular coffee maker with a pot and all that Levi’s very familiar with, but this one has levers and buttons and everything. It looks kind of imposing as it sits there, and what the fuck even is a double chocolate cappuccino? Okay, the double part he gets, but does he just throw a chunk of chocolate into the mix? Won’t the whipped cream melt into a puddle as soon as he tries adding it into the drink? In fact, where do they even keep their large coffee cups, because this particular drink seems like the type that would require a large cup.

He grabs one of the cups sitting on the shelves that looks fairly large, suddenly all too aware of the fact that his intimidatingly beautiful customer is staring at him with interested eyes. Crap, he’s all the more nervous now, his hands shaking as he places the cup down under one of the openings that look like they could spew out come coffee-like substance. Deciding to risk it, he presses down on one of the buttons and the machine lets out an infernal beep, but no cappuccino or anything else comes out.

After he’s spent a few more moments agonizing over the machine and sweating profusely, he hears that angelic voice call out, “Can I lend you a hand?”

Whirling around, he’s about to insist that everything’s fine, but before he knows it, the green-eyed, wispy haired beauty has joined him on the other side of the counter. He’s standing right there next to Levi, so close that he could easily reach out and boop that cute little nose and trail his finger over each and every one of his freckles in an intimate game of connect the dots. But he doesn’t, of course, he merely watches his customer pressing the button and pushing down one of the levers at the same time, explaining that since the machine is a bit of an older model there’s some tips and tricks to making it work right.

“It really shows that I come here far too often, huh,” he sighs with a bashful smile that looks like it would taste even sweeter than any of Levi’s pastries. “I’ve seen Petra making my drink so many times that I know it by heart now.”

After getting the cappuccino into the cup, he mixes in the chocolate syrup he grabs off the shelf, which is something Levi didn’t even know they had. He finishes it off with a generous tuft of whipped cream, all in all making for quite a tasty sight - both him and the drink, that is, because he gets such a look of concentration on his face while he’s piping it, his brows furrowed and a few loose strands of hair falling over his face. The whipped cream does melt, but only slightly, and when he brings it up to his lips to taste it and closes his eyes in satisfaction, Levi finds himself inexplicably sweating even more than before.

“Thanks,” he chirps at Levi as he heads for the table with his drink and meringue. “Everything looks really good. I take it that you’re the one who makes all these?”

Before Levi can respond, Petra emerges from the backroom with a few boxes in her arms. Her expression brightens instantly when she notices their latest customer. “Hi Eren! How are you?” she calls out and unceremoniously hands everything she’s carrying to Levi, soon engaged in a lively conversation with the pretty little thing apparently named Eren. He’s not jealous, he tells himself as he goes to open the boxes of coffee beans, neatly setting each bag on them into their proper cupboard.

It’s only a little later that something horrible dawns on him, his gaze darting between Eren and the register. With some ambiguous silent waving, he at last succeeds in catching Petra’s attention, and she looks only a little irritated at the interruption as she raises a curious brow at Levi. He beckons her to come closer, and it’s not until he’s literally whispering into her ear that he dares to confess, “I think I forgot to give him the change.”

Petra actually laughs at that, making Levi flush as pink as his strawberry meringues. “Eren, did you get your change for that?” she calls out, and fucking hell, could she at least have some tact and not shout it for the whole place to hear?

Eren looks up from his drink, a tiny smudge of whipped cream caught on to the tip of his nose. “Oh, no, it’s fine,” he assures with his eyes fixed on Levi as he nods at the meringue on his plate that he’s already taken a few bites out of. “I would’ve tipped you with it anyway, this tastes so good.”

That’s the last straw for Levi and he flees into the kitchen, even the tips of his ears burning red. The sound of Petra’s laugh follows him even after he’s closed the door, and he thinks he hears Eren say something more, too, but he can’t quite make out the words. It’s official, he’s never leaving the kitchen after today, not even if his life depends on it.

—

The problem is that as soon as Levi’s made that promise, Eren shows up for coffee every single day.

He sees him from where he’s spying in the doorway, and though he’s never quite brave enough to go out and greet him, those moments when he gets to watch Eren smile and talk with Petra are the highlights of his day. If only he could carry a conversation like that instead of stuttering and forgetting his words like an idiot, but since that’s not possible, he stays in the safety of his kitchen and merely watches. Maybe it’s a little creepy, yes, but every now and then he’ll hear Eren mention how delicious the blueberry pie or the pecan brownies are and feel his heart grow nearly too big for his chest.

On one particular day Eren notices him lurking there, eyes locking on to his for the briefest of moments, and though Levi’s quick to slam the door shut, he starts specifically asking for Levi every day.

Most of the time it’s simply to compliment him on his baking, which always leaves Levi in a blubbering mess as he stares at the floor intently. Sometimes it’s just idle chit chat about the weather or recent events, and those are the times Levi finds even more nervewracking. He simply can’t think of anything to say, damn it, especially when Eren’s looking at him with such genuine interest despite of his awkward one-word answers. He does try, it’s not that, but since he’s terrible with people at best it doesn’t go too well, especially when you add in the dizzying effect Eren has on him.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Petra nearly shrieks one morning after listening to Levi respond mostly with ‘hmm’s to Eren’s questions. She slams down the coffee pot she’d been holding so violently that it’s a wonder it doesn’t break. “Will you stop dancing around each other like a couple of teenagers?”

She storms off after that, leaving Eren and Levi to merely stare at eachother. After a moment of silence, Eren clears his throat awkwardly and excuses himself, hurrying off with one last look over his shoulder. Then he’s gone, the bell above the door giving a sad little chime after him.

Levi tries to confront Petra about whatever the hell that had been, but she merely gives a sigh. “It’s just like I said back when I was in sixth grade and realized I was a lesbian,” she states like it explains everything. “Boys are dumb.”

It explains nothing, at least not to Levi. However, Eren stops coming in, and suddenly his days are a lot less brighter than before.

A whole week passes until he sees Eren again, this time when he’s manning the register again while Petra’s hovering over the maintenance guys that are fixing the air conditioning in the kitchen. His blood runs cold at the sight of those sparkling eyes, but Eren seems completely oblivious to his anxiety. He stops to talk with Levi for a moment - about the weather, once again, what is it with people and talking about the weather - before he orders a chocolate meringue and his usual drink. This time around Levi’s the one to make it since Petra had graciously taught him how to use the machine, and though his hands tremble a little as he’s piping on the whipped cream, he thinks it looks fairly good.

Eren looks fairly good today, too, in fact he’s dressed a little nicer than usual, having switched out his slightly worn baggy jeans for tight fitting black ones and his nerdy t-shirts for a very sharp-looking button-up. His hair is a little disheveled from the wind outside, but it only makes him look all the more attractive, especially when he runs a hand through it and those green eyes are looking at Levi and Levi only. The tiny expanse of tan skin peeking out from under his the collar of his shirt distracts Levi to such an extent that he nearly drops the meringue before getting it on to the plate.

“I think the strawberry meringue is my favorite, but chocolate is always good, too,” Eren’s saying as he flashes an irresistible smile at Levi. “How do you get them to be so light and crispy?”

“You have to whisk it over a pot of simmering water, preferably by hand,” Levi replies. Baking is the only good thing he’s good at, really, so it’s also the only topic of conversation where he has little to no chances of fucking up horribly.

Eren gives a low whistle at that. “Sounds really challenging. Thank you so much for your hard work, this place always has the best treats, all thanks to you no doubt.”

Levi shifts his weight from one foot to the other, ducking his head in an effort to hide the steady flush threatening to spread over his cheeks. “It’s nothing, really.”

“But it is!” Eren insists earnestly, and fucking hell, Levi really should’ve kept his gaze on the floor because as soon as he sees those intense green eyes he feels nervous flutters rising up from the pit of his stomach. All of the sudden, Eren reaching out to him to ghost his fingers over the back of his palm and he swears his heart stops at the touch. “You really are talented, I can tell from just looking at your hands.”

“Uh,” Levi says in an extremely eloquent response, all rational thought suddenly gone from his head and all that he can think of is Eren’s skin against his.

Looking away for a few seconds, Eren looks like he’s considering his next words very carefully. “I was wondering, and you can totally say no if you want to, I promise I won’t demand anything of you, but, um, it would be really nice if we could have coffee some day,” he says all in one breath while he fiddles with his cup.

“You’re having coffee right now,” Levi points out. Besides, Eren comes here so often, why would he ever want to have coffee somewhere else.

“That’s not what I meant, I meant like both of us,” Eren clarifies, and now there’s the most alluring little blush lingering over his cheeks as he stands there awkwardly. “Like, together.”

“I don’t really drink coffee,” Levi replies. He really doesn’t, it smells nice enough but the taste isn’t that appealing to him, no matter how much milk or sugar he adds. It’s such an odd topic of conversation, too, why on earth would Eren ever want to ask about his coffee drinking habits?

Eren’s shoulders drop down, a faintly dejected look flashing over his features. “Oh, it’s fine, I just thought… okay, I understand. Thanks anyway.”

He goes to sit down at the table that’s farthest away from the register while Levi goes down to wiping down the displays. It’s very precise work, that’s where they keep all their pastries, so he has to make sure that it’s spotless and free of any bacteria. As he’s scrubbing at one particularly tricky spot that might actually be on the other side of the glass, his mind catches up to him and the meaning behind Eren’s words finally dawns to him.

“Yes!” he yells, accidentally banging his head on the display in his haste to straighten himself out. His heart is pounding in his ears and Eren, along with the rest of their customers, is staring at him like he’s gone mad. Could it be? Did Eren just really…? No, there’s no way. Him? Eren wants to go have coffee with him, out of all people?

“Yes?” Eren asks in a hopeful voice, those gorgeous eyes lighting up when Levi looks at him.

“Yes,” he replies breathlessly. “I’d love to go out for coffee with you. Or tea, or hot chocolate, or whatever, really. Even McDonald’s, I don’t care. As long as it’s with you.”

Eren graces him with a beaming smile and laughs gently, Levi blushes all the way to the roots of his hair and in the kitchen, pressed up against the door and listening to every word, Petra gives a little fist pump of victory and mutters, “Finally.”


	26. improve

“You’ve gotten pretty good, Eren,” Levi says, making Eren’s cheek flush a light shade of pink.

He merely sputters in response for a few moments, acutely aware that the rest of their squad is watching them in astonishment. Granted, it had been a very intense training session they’d just had, but Levi isn’t exactly known for handing out compliments like that. Eren’s not really even that good when compared to the others, at least not in his own opinion, so it’s not awkward at all for him to become flustered and speechless in such a situation. 

“Really, you’ve improved quite a lot.” His gaze lingers on Eren for a moment, drawn to the strong lines of his shoulders and the tiny expanse of skin peeking out from under the neckline of his shirt. Then he moves on like it’s no big deal, going on about how they’ll still have to practice 3DMG handling in different weather conditions and after sunset, and that’s the end of that, life moves on, yet Eren’s stuck with an odd, longing restlessness whenever he thinks back on those words

\---

The next time it happens is in the showers, and thankfully this time it’s just the two of them.

“Nice muscles,” Levi points out from across the room just as Eren’s rinsing the last suds from his hair. 

He freezes, so very aware that he’s incredibly naked and that Levi is also incredibly naked. The two of them, naked, in the showers, and while there are at least ten feet between them, it feels like Levi’s itching to reach out and trail his fingers down along Eren’s abdomen as he stares at him with curious hunger in his eyes. 

“Stop it,” Eren forces out, his voice barely above a whisper as he feels more parts of his body than just his face heating up. “Somebody could walk in at any moment.”

“I’m serious, you’ve gotten fit. Must be all that training,” Levi drawls, as casual as he can be as he rakes his eyes over Eren’s body, not even bothering to hide his appreciation. And yes, he probably has, most of his baby fat now replaced by firm, strong muscles, but does Levi have to point it out like this, when both of them are very, very naked? “Really nice.”

Just as he’s about to join Levi under his shower and give him free reign with his body, Levi switches the spray off and wraps a towel around his waist, calling out over his shoulder as he leaves, “Remember that you’re on kitchen duty today.” As if they hadn’t just been having a discussion about Eren’s muscles.

He’s left standing there with his mouth caught open and his cock at half mast, watching as the door closes after Levi and those compliments play over in his mind again and again. 

\---

They run into each other in a secluded hallway, and in a fraction of a second, Eren has Levi pressed up against the wall. 

“Ooh, see.” Levi runs a finger along the muscles of Eren’s forearm revealed from under the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt, his gaze hooded. “So strong, too.”

Eren kisses him in order to shut him up for at least a moment. “You have to stop doing this,” he orders, letting out a groan when he feels Levi discreetly rubbing his thigh against his crotch.

“Doing what?” Levi questions with mock innocence laced in his voice.

“The complimenting thing. I can’t get through a single training session or a day of cleaning without you making me blush like a teenager,” Eren says, and to his mortification, feels himself blushing at right this moment.

“Can’t I appreciate you?” Levi asks, the tiniest of smiles tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You’ve improved so, so much, Eren, physically and mentally. Not to mention that you’re a total babe.” The statement is accompanied with a firm squeeze of his ass and Eren actually yelps at that. “Besides, you like being appreciated, don’t you?”

There’s no mistaking the faintly teasing yet knowledgeable edge in Levi’s voice that tells he’s definitely noticed Eren’s affinity for praises and compliments - both his affinity and the ensuing arousal.

“Not to mention you look really handsome when you’re blushing,” Levi nearly laughs into his mouth, the soft sound making Eren’s toes curl in delight, because there’s nothing in this world he loves more than making Levi laugh. 

“You’re horrible.” He nips at Levi’s bottom lip playfully. “Fuck you.”

“Now, Eren, that’s not how we respond to compliments, is it?” Levi asks with a raised brow, his hands latching on to Eren’s belt, both a promise and a question. “You wanna try that again?”

Eren only hesitates for a second or two. “Thank you,” he states in a quiet voice, going on to add, “sir.”

“That’s much better.” Levi’s eyes darken at the answer and his fingers deftly undo Eren’s belt. “Good boy.” 


	27. sun

Even in this life, Eren is just as stunning as Levi had remembered, especially now when he finally has the boy sprawled in his sheets. He wakes up just before dawn as usual, carefully tiptoeing around his apartment to avoid disturbing Eren’s sleep. They’d talked and made love all night, and even now Levi finds himself casting longing glances towards the bed and the couple of tufts of brown hair visible from under the covers. How nice it would be to just curl up in Eren’s arms and never let go of him, and once again Levi has to reminds himself that they have all the time in the world now that they’ve at last found each other. **  
**

His day begins with a cup of strong coffee and a piece of toast as he sits by the kitchen table, watching the first rays of the sun cast their light upon the city. His apartment has large windows with a view over the busy downtown area, and that’s where he likes to think he creates all his best work. There are unfinished pieces and some painting supplies scattered across the spacious studio apartment, and Eren has gasped in delight upon seeing them.

“That’s so cool, this place really looks like an artist’s home,” he’d chirped, though he’d been mildly confused by the lack of any couches or TVs or other conventional furniture. Levi had been nearly blinded by that beautiful, bright enthusiasm that he’d simply had to kiss Eren right there and then, swallowing up the pleased little sound he’d made at the back of his throat at the sudden show of affection. It had been over a thousand years since their last kiss, after all.

Since Eren had shown up on his gallery opening completely at random without no prior warning and Levi had subsequently whisked him off back to his place as soon as he could, he hadn’t had the chance to hide some of the more embarrassing pieces he’d been working on. Somehow those forest green eyes had made their way to more than one of his works as he’d tried to conjure up the rest of those features that had haunted him for his whole life. Eren’s eyes were all he could recall, so he’d painted them on a dozen different people in an effort to remember. Then, after one shared look across the room when he’d least expected it, he’d been flooded with memories.

The warm, yellow sunlight makes Eren’s skin glow as he nuzzles into his pillow, and without even thinking, Levi finds himself reaching for his sketchpad and oil pastels. He’s never witnessed a more beautiful scene in his life, so of course he’d want to capture it on paper. Now that he finally has Eren, really has him in the flesh, he wants to paint and draw him every which way so that he’ll never forget about his soft, wispy hair and the smooth skin that’s bathed in the golden light of the morning.

With each passing minute, more and more of the gentle light filters in through the windows, accentuating each curve and bend of Eren’s muscles as he lays there, shifting a little so that the duvet covering him slides a little lower. His chest and stomach are bare, now, his arms tucked under his head and those delicious full lips parting as he mumbles something in his sleep. He looks so innocent like this, a kind, lovely soul who’s been through so many hardships that, in this life, he deserves nothing but sweet words and comfort and happiness. A real angel, that’s what he is, and especially now when he’s peacefully resting in the brilliant morning light, Levi could easily believe him to be something ethereal, something out of this world.

Slowly, those forest green eyes blink open, and Levi’s heart stops for a moment as Eren smiles at him in recognition.

“Hey,” he speaks out, his voice hoarse from sleep, so full of affectionate warmth and pure blinding light that even the sun couldn’t rival it. “What time is it?”

“A little past six,” Levi whispers, because somehow this moment feels so divine that he can’t bring himself to speak any louder. “You can go back to sleep if you want, it’s fine.”

Eren’s brows knit together as he sees the sketchpad in Levi’s hand. “Are you drawing me?”

“No.” Levi swallows heavily. “Uh, maybe.”

He waits for disapproval, waits for Eren to scoff at him and tell him that he’s being creepy, but what he gets is only a lopsided smile. “Not sure if I’m that good of a model, though. I thought you were more into modern art, anyway.”

“You’re a perfect model,” Levi states, pleasant flutters running along his spine as he sees a slight blush rising to Eren’s cheeks. “Stay still for a few more minutes, I’m almost done.”

Eren settles back into the pillows, but not before insisting that Levi has to show it to him once he’s done, a condition he gladly agrees to. Though he feels a bit nervous with Eren’s intense gaze on him, his hand is steady as it moves over the paper, drawing softly defined plains of golden light over exposed skin. Eren’s the best and also the most tempting model he could ever have with his long graceful limbs and sleek muscles, his whole body a work of art in itself.

“So beautiful,” Levi speaks under his breath, and Eren probably hears it since he lets out a tiny laugh and buries his face into the pillow.

He’d asked for only a few more minutes, sure, but as Eren changes position and causes the duvet to fall even lower and expose the ample curve of his ass, Levi has to take a very slow, purposeful breath. It’s early, and they have time, he reminds himself. Even so, he thinks he’ll have to examine Eren’s body a little more closely. For artistic reasons, of course. As he sets down his sketchpad and crawls back into bed with Eren, he’s so incredibly warm and content, probably beaming like the damn sun that’s rising over the horizon outside.


	28. cushion

The very first thing Eren brings with him to the castle is a brightly-colored cushion, its fabric adorned with intricate patterns and little golden tassels hanging from its four corners. The second thing is an old wooden box filled with fragrant oils and creams and sticks of incense, but after that, the third, fourth, and many more subsequent items are just cushions of varying shapes and colors. They end up littered all over the floor of Levi’s bedchambers like they’d always belonged there, though they are in stark contrast to the rest of his rather ascetic furnishings.

Eren comes from a land where cushions are commonly kept on the floor and speaks a language with soft, rolling consonants and words that cascade into one another in a near-constant stream, incomprehensible to Levi’s ears yet still somehow more lovely than anything he’s ever heard. 

He’d been to Shiganshina few times, had seen the brilliant sun and endless dunes stretching out into the horizon, the lush palms and flowers growing both at the side of the roads and in the queen’s gardens, and, remembering all that, had wondered multiple times why Eren would ever agree to leave such a place. 

Whenever he said anything about it, Eren would merely pat him on the cheek like he was a curious child asking too many questions. “Because of you, of course,” he’d reply, a slight accent in his voice yet his grammar and vocabulary indistinguishable from a native speaker. He’d picked up on the language of his new homeland quickly, a fact which Levi was secretly a little envious of - despite of countless of hours reading and studying, he could still barely introduce himself in Eren’s language. 

The only aspect of his new home Eren didn’t really seem to care for was the cold. “I knew Trost was on the other side of the world and all,” he’d mumbled into his thick woollen scarf when they’d first stepped off the ship and on to the snowy pier. “But damn, how do you people survive so far up north?”

Whereas Eren’s country had been filled with bright colors and warmth and golden sand, Trost was covered by thousands of acres of dense pine forests and clear yet cold rivers and unforgiving mountain ridges, not to mention the snow that enveloped the land for a good few months during the winter. Their people are colder, too, at least that’s what Eren had said after a good few weeks. His mother’s court had been full of laughter and dancing, something which was not found too often in Trost, at least not before downing a few pints of ale. 

“I don’t think they like me very much,” he’d sighed in a dejected voice once, slumping against Levi’s shoulder as they’d settled under the covers after a long day of meeting people. 

“And why is that, love?” he’d asked while absent-mindedly carding through Eren’s smooth brown locks. 

“I just get that feeling,” Eren had stated, adding something in his own language that had sounded more than a little exasperated.

He could’ve explained that it was just how his family were at first, and that if they’d truly disliked his chosen consort they would’ve protested even before the wedding, but that would have been too many words considering how sleepy and comfortable he’d felt with Eren in his arms. “I like you,” he’d merely stated, nuzzling at Eren’s cheek. “And they will grow to like you, too.”

That’s exactly what had happened, and with each passing day, he’d seen how Eren’s steps would become lighter and how he’d pick up slang and everyday phrases from talking to people more and more. Even here, in the middle of snow and clouded skies, he shined exactly as bright as the first time Levi had laid eyes on him, surrounded by blooming peonies and a few blades of grass caught on to his hair. Aside from the variety of cushions and oils and perfumes, he’d also brought with him such an unfathomable amount of pure blinding joy that it’s no wonder he soon has the whole kingdom wrapped around his finger. 

Most importantly Levi, of course, who still cannot believe such a lovely creature had agreed to marry him. Every morning that he wakes up and sees Eren sleeping peacefully next to him, his hair tousled over the pillow and his gorgeous amber skin warm under Levi’s touch, every quiet morning like that is a blessing. 

The cushions are definitely nice, he has to admit. He hadn’t been sure about them for the longest time, but one day he walks in while Eren’s casually lounging amongst them wearing only a white tunic that’s riding up to expose his soft thighs. Levi’s heart nearly stops at the sight.

“It’s so cold.” Eren barely even looks up from the book he’s currently immersed in. “Bring me a blanket?”

Levi does just as told, and without really thinking about it, ends up laying down next to Eren as he drapes the blanket over the both of them. “You’re indecent,” he points out and tries to sound admonishing, he really does, but when Eren’s looking at him from under his lashes like that, the words come out sounding more shaky than anything. 

“I don’t know what you mean,” he states in a low voice, a tiny smile playing on his lips. “I’m just getting comfortable. It’s much better now that you’re here. Thank you.”

Only Eren could make him go from wanting to pound him into the cushions to wanting to just hold him gently for the rest of the night, all in the span of about ten seconds or so. “What are you reading?” he asks as he moves to lace his fingers with Eren’s, feeling something inside him flutter when Eren squeezes at his hand. 

“Oh, just some poetry. Here, listen to this.” Eren starts reading out loud, and though Levi can’t understand a single word, he listens attentively to each soft syllable that flows into the next one. It reminds him of flames licking at wood or maybe of warm yet strong gusts of wind that make his heart flip in his chest. 

He could listen to Eren for hours, really, but as he starts to trail off, Levi can’t resist latching on to his neck and sucking tiny hickies into his skin. He more feels than hears the moan that Eren makes at the back of his throat, his eyes falling closed.

“How accurate, it was a love poem, actually,” he says with amusement in his voice as he rolls over to his back and drags Levi on top of him. 

Levi responds by wrapping his arms around him and kissing him, those soft lips opening up easily to welcome him in. Eren tastes faintly of tea and milk, along with just a pinch of cinnamon, and no matter how many times Levi kisses him he’s sure he’ll never get enough of him. He’s always willing and pliant under Levi’s touch, but his determined grip of Levi’s hair as he deepens the kiss reminds Levi that he’s a force to be reckoned with. 

“I was thinking,” Eren mutters while Levi goes back to marking up his neck, his hand sliding up along his thigh. “We should get a canopy. For the bed. I used to have one, they’re really romantic.” 

The first time they’d ever made love had been under that canopy, so of course Levi remembers it. And it had been pretty romantic. “Sure,” he agrees and feels Eren smile into his hair. “Anything for you.” 


	29. Chapter 29

Maybe it’s just his imagination, but he thinks that Eren is somehow much softer in this life than before. 

When he first happens to mention it while they’re having breakfast together, Eren scoffs and flicks a piece of toast at him. “You make it sound like I’m a stuffed animal or a pillow or something,” he says with the tips of his ears burning bright red. Levi merely shrugs at that and retaliates by stealing a strip of bacon from Eren’s plate.

In his mind, it goes beyond being like a stuffed animal or a pillow. It’s hard for him to put it into words, but somehow Eren’s whole being, his form and palette, are tinged with such a sweet softness that it’s no wonder he often finds himself sketching him over and over again, using any and every technique in order to find the one that best captures Eren’s exuberant presence. The boy seems a little bashful at first, shifting around awkwardly whenever he finds himself being watched so carefully by Levi, but as they fall into their new shared daily routine, he grows more and more used to it with every day that passes.

Eren is made up of long, lanky limbs that aren’t quite as muscled now as they were before. There’s some looseness clinging on to his thighs and stomach that he seems a little self-conscious of, and Levi makes a mental note to spend a good few nights worshipping especially those parts of him. This time around he’s gotten to grow up under the loving care of his mother and father, he tells Levi one night when they’re lazily curled up on the couch. Neither one of them remember, a fact which Eren seems quite thankful for.

“You’re the only one I’ve found so far. I’d almost given up,” he’d whispered into the crook of Levi’s neck, and Levi had vowed to never let go of this lovely angel of his. 

Eren’s happier this time around, the green of his eyes inquisitive and gentle and his steps lighter. He’s held on to his passion and determination, but the places where anger had previously resided in are now filled with the aforementioned softness that shines through in each little smile and flowing bout of laughter.

Aside from that, Levi thinks, no, he knows, that Eren is just as soft and warm on the outside, too. During the couple of weeks they’ve spent together, he’s noticed Eren’s affinity for comfy cashmere sweaters and colorful woollen socks that his mom had apparently made him for his birthday. When they go to bed together Eren surrounds himself with pillows and blankets, and when they wake up in the morning his hair is painted with warm golden light as the rising sun casts its first rays through the window, wispy locks splayed messily over the pillow. 

He’s been growing out his hair, and it now reaches almost to his shoulders. The brown strands have a natural slight curl to them that’s become even more apparent after Eren’s stopped cutting it, and whenever Levi runs his hands through them, be it in the midst of quiet everyday moments or in bed with nothing in between their bodies but sweat and heat and friction, they feel so unbelievably soft. Soft like all of Eren, really. 

Levi’s not sure when he starts the whole petting thing; it just sort of happens. Eren’s hair just feels so damn nice, so it’s only natural that he ends up running his fingers through it whenever he can - when Eren’s lounging on the couch playing with some inane cat collecting app, when he’s just finished sketching yet another portrait of Eren with gently defined lines, when it’s morning and Eren can barely keep his eyes open as he slouches over his morning coffee. It’s the most innocent thing, barely more than a pat at times, though on a few occasions he does get a little carried away, abandoning everything else in favor of fiddling with Eren’s hair. 

“I’m not some fluffy little animal,” Eren might protest then, but he’ll still crane his head a little for better access, any and all tension he’s accumulated during the day bleeding right out of him. 

Levi knows this, and he’s tried explaining the reasons behind his sudden interest numerous times. Eren’s just really soft overall these days, soft and warm and most importantly happy, because if there’s something Levi’s longed for during his whole existence it’s to see Eren happy. This time around they have time, all the time in the world and no imminent threat constantly looming over them, and as such, he can freely love and appreciate and spoil Eren, even if it’s just something as small as petting his hair. 

This is as far as he’ll usually get with his explanation because Eren will swoop in to cradle his face in his hands and rant about how embarrassing Levi’s being while pressing tiny kisses all over cheeks and forehead. The conversation would usually devolve into kisses and a lot of nuzzling after that, but if Levi would’ve been able to go on he would have probably mentioned how his most recent gallery opening and the subsequent sales had earned him a five figure sum which he intended to spend solely on Eren. But, once again, they have plenty of time. The rest of eternity, in fact, and every moment he gets to spend by Eren’s side is a blessed one.

“You really are an angel,” he’ll sigh into Eren’s hair as they’re drifting off to sleep or waking up into a yet another peaceful day, or whenever in between those two points in time. “All you’re missing is the fluffy wings. I bet they’d be really soft, too.”

Eren laughs, always laughs, light and carefree and bright, and that beautiful sound fills Levi’s chest with such an achingly joyful flutter that he finds himself laughing too.


	30. papaya

“He specifically asked for you,” Petra informs him with a shrug.

“Did you tell him that I’m a bartender and not a damn waiter?” Levi quips. When he glances out towards the pool area he can see Eren lazing around on one of the sunbeds, seemingly focused on fiddling with his phone. He’s wearing nothing but his swimming trunks, those toned arms and sculpted abdomen bared for all to see. Levi swears the man is doing it on purpose, positioning himself right where Levi can see him every single day.

Petra gives him an annoyed glare. “You can go tell him that yourself when you go deliver him his drink. One Papaya Dream with plenty of ice.”

“How about no?” he suggests, but Petra’s already walking away to one of the other patrons to collect their empty glasses.

Levi knows these types - he’s been hit on by numerous guests before, though so far most of them have been older and often married women. Their hotel tends to attract quite affluent guests, and Levi’s been offered everything from diamond rings to luxury cars in exchange for his company. Usually he’ll give a very fake smile and replace the Stolichnaya or Dom Pérignon they ordered with a cheaper and crappier brand, but at least Eren’s been pretty courteous so far, so he supposes he’ll make his drink correctly.

It’s an extremely fruity choice, but hey, Eren’s been pretty damn open about his preferences. Even now as Levi sets to work squeezing the glass full of fresh papaya juice, he can feel those intense green eyes on him from the other side of the pool. It’s already a warm day but somehow he finds himself sweating even more with Eren’s gaze fixed on him and only him. He’d arrived to the hotel by himself, yet from the very first day he’d had a number of both men and women casting admiring looks his way, all of which he’d ignored in favor of hanging out by the bar and sending coy glances Levi’s way from across the yard.

Just as he’s reaching for the bottle of vodka, he happens to make the mistake of looking up and meeting Eren’s eyes for just a short moment. As a result he ends up fumbling with the bottle and nearly dropping it, and Eren, that fucking asshole, laughs at him. It’s just a light chuckle but Levi’s ears are still burning as he finishes mixing the drink, cussing under his breath. Fucking Eren - not in  _ that _ sense, but oh dear, the mental images of having him splayed out amongst silky sheets or maybe even taking him right there on the bar counter are driving Levi mad - and his fucking abs and gorgeous eyes and caramel skin, this fucking man is destroying all of Levi’s noble ideas of not messing around with their guests.

He spends a few moments crouched down behind the counter in an attempt to find some inner peace and composure. It doesn’t really work since there’s still nervous flutters erupting in his stomach as he makes his way around the pool and towards Eren where he’s lounging on his sunbed under a couple of palm trees without a care in the world, giving Levi the brightest and most charming smile as he approaches. It looks like he’s just finished lotioning himself up, the firm muscles in his arms and chest glistening lightly, and Levi’s hit with a number of distracting thoughts about how nice and soft and warm Eren’s skin probably feels and good his neck would look when covered in fresh hickies and love bites.

“One Papaya Dream, sir,” Levi intones, and dear God, he sees Eren’s eyes darken in the most tempting way at that last word. He holds the tray out to Eren, expecting him to grab the drink, but instead he just keeps looking at Levi expectantly.

“Taste it for me,” he demands, making Levi raise a brow at him.

“Excuse me?”

“Taste it for me. Surely you wouldn’t serve a customer something that you wouldn’t be willing to drink, too?” There’s a certain challenge in his eyes, the corners of his lips quirking up playfully as Levi narrows his eyes as him.

“As you demand,” he replies, adding on before he raises his glass to his lips, “sir.”

Eren watches him keenly, his eyes drawn to how the muscles in Levi’s throat move as he swallows. “What does it taste like?” he asks in what’s almost a purr as he reaches for the glass.

“Like papaya. And vodka.” That’s all he has time to say before Eren grabs on to his tie and pulls him down for a kiss. His tongue licks over Levi’s lips in such a gentle yet commanding manner that all Levi can do is moan faintly and open his mouth wider. He can feel Eren smiling, that fucking smug asshole, his fingers stroking at the skin of Levi’s neck bared from under his collar, and it’s so damn hot and wet that Levi very nearly whines when Eren pulls away.

“It’s good. Very refreshing.” There’s silent laughter dancing in his eyes as he settles back, picking up his phone again with the glass in his other hand. “Thanks.” After Levi hasn’t moved an inch from where he’s still leaned over Eren, he speaks up again with amusement laced in his voice. “You’re kind of blocking the sun, and even though you’re very nice to look at, I’d like to work on my tan a little, darling.”

His face is burning red as he stomps off, and after he’s made it back to the bar he spends at least fifteen minutes sitting on the floor behind the counter, the taste of papaya and Eren still lingering on his tongue as he tries to comprehend what had just taken place.

It’s only later after he’s already clocked out that he finds the tiny piece of paper folded in the chest pocket of his shirt, and on it, a messily scrawled phone number and the words ‘call me’. 


	31. generosity

It starts off with a light beige sweater that he notices Eren discreetly eyeing. He swears he hadn’t planned ahead for it, he’d just been meaning to buy a new jacket for the autumn for himself and had asked Eren to tag along simply because everything was just that much more fun with Eren. Clothes shopping is quite possible Levi’s least favorite thing ever, but when he’s lightly clasping on to Eren’s fingers it feels almost tolerable.

The sweater is exactly in Eren’s style, soft and very fluffy, he notes as he wanders over to it with Eren trailing behind him. It’s made of cashmere that feels simply exquisite to the touch, and he can only imagine how comfy Eren would be in it. A quick glance at the tag reveals that it’s priced accordingly, but numbers don’t really matter to him - he has plenty of money to spend, and it it’s on Eren, no price is too high. 

“Here, try this on,” he suggests as he hands the sweater over to Eren. “It would look really good on you.”

Eren stares at him, those lovely green eyes wide and bewildered. “Uh, I thought we were shopping for you.”

“Sure, but I think you’d really like this,” Levi goes on, tugging him towards the fitting rooms. “Just try it on, we have plenty of time.”

Eventually Eren gives in and disappears into one of the fitting rooms with the sweater in hand. He doesn’t let Levi join him, though, which is probably a good decision considering that he simply cannot keep his hands off of Eren even when he’s fully dressed. Instead he waits outside, leaving him plenty of time to check out the nearby displays of gloves and scarfs as he wonders how well one particular bright green woollen scarf would go with Eren’s eyes. 

He forgets about every single one of his thoughts as Eren steps out, his breath catching in his throat at the sight. There’s just something about Eren in soft and comfy clothes that he can’t get enough of, and this sweater in particular drapes over his frame so beautifully that Levi could sweep him up in his arms right there and then. Yeah, seeing him like this is definitely worth all the money in the world.

Eren glances at him almost shyly, shifting a little under his intense stare. “It’s really nice, you have good taste,” he comments as his fingers are plucking at the hem of the sweater. “But you should probably try it on yourself if you’re thinking of getting it.”

“I’m getting it for you,” he states like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and finds himself watching in amusement as Eren’s mouth falls open. “So it’s good, right size and color and everything?”

“Darling, no.” Eren goes on to protest further, but Levi’s too damn focused on the fact that Eren had called him darling, in public, nonetheless, his heart doing a dumb little flip in his chest at the sound of that word. Oh, right, Eren’s still talking, he should probably try to pay attention. “...it’s fine, I can get it for myself on my next payday, you should spend your money on things that you like.”

“That’s what I’m doing, I’m spending it on you,” Levi says and can’t stop the slight quirk of his lips when the words cause an adorable little blush to rise on Eren’s cheeks. “It looks really good on you, by the way.” 

Eren lets out a feeble groan and hides his face in to his hands. “No, no, I’d feel so guilty.” He waves at the price tag in Levi’s direction. “This costs way too much.” 

They keep bickering all the way to the registers, though it’s mostly good-natured. It isn’t until they’re standing in the queue that Eren looks at him right in the eyes with a questioning tilt of his head and says, “You’re really buying it.”

“I am.” How could he not, after seeing how well the color and the cut had complimented his tan skin and his wide shoulders? Not to mention how content Eren had looked when he’d glanced at himself in the mirror, hands idly feeling at the soft fabric.

The poor boy seems so puzzled, as if he’s still trying to figure out if Levi’s just joking. “For me?” 

Levi gives a roll of his eyes, and damn it, he’s smiling again like the lovestruck idiot he is. “Yes, of course it’s for you.” Before he even knows what he’s doing, he’s reaching up to lightly tap at Eren’s nose. Eren looks so deliciously surprised at the sudden gesture that Levi swears he’s going to eat him up. 

“But why?” he keeps insisting.

“Because I love you,” Levi states with as much patience as he can muster. “Now shush. If you keep on resisting I’m gonna leave this queue and buy you more clothes.”

That finally makes Eren fall silent, but he’s chewing on to his lip like he still wants to argue. Instead he simply squeezes Levi’s hand, warm and gentle, only letting go when they’re at the register and Levi has to get out his wallet to pay. 

\---

They fall into a comfortable daily rhythm soon enough. While Eren’s not officially living in the same apartment, he might as well be since he stays over so often. They have breakfast together, after which Eren will head off to class or work, depending on his schedule, and Levi settles by the large windows to paint. 

Making art for a living involves a lot of things he hadn’t expected, such as planning ahead and making phone calls, both of which he’s not very good at. He just wants to paint, but no, he has to get in touch with buyers and galleries and goodness knows who else. It’s a necessary evil, and whenever Levi gets too burnt out he tends to take a little break, often venturing to have some coffee at the very coffee shop where Eren works at. 

It’s located only a short walking distance from his apartment, ironically enough, and since Eren’s the shift manager, he tends to have enough time to sit down with Levi and share a pastry and some coffee with him. They probably look like a couple of teenagers as they hold hands and flirt shamelessly at each other, but the other employees seem more amused than annoyed whenever Levi shows up and steals their manager away for a couple of moments. Eren tends to sneak him a coffee and something to eat free of charge, no matter how much he resists, and it’s easily one of the highlights of his day.

Eren’s not a fan of coffee. He usually has a hot chocolate with a whole mountain of whipped cream on top, paired with a brownie or a double chocolate cookie. He has a major sweet tooth, Levi discovers soon enough, but hey, he’s definitely not complaining - often he’ll get a little smudge of whipped cream on his nose or a speck of chocolate on his lip and become so adorably flustered when Levi reaches across the table to wipe it off. 

On one particular day after Eren’s had to pull a twelve hour shift due to one of the managers calling in sick, Levi plops a small box on to his lap as he’s lazing on the couch and moaning about his sore feet. Eren looks at the box and his eyes widen as he glances up at Levi. He opens his mouth once or twice, but no words come out, so he gives it yet another go.    
  
“This is,” he starts off, reading the letters on the box again as if to make sure he’d gotten it right, “this is Godiva.”

“Figured you’d like a treat after working so hard all day,” Levi states as he leans down to press a kiss into Eren’s hair. 

“No, you don’t get it,” Eren says very slowly. “This stuff probably costs more than I spent on all my groceries last week.”

Okay, from now on he’s never letting Eren go grocery shopping on his own if he buys such crappy food that it ends up costing less than a box of chocolates. “You’ve been working really hard,” he replies with a shrug as he makes his way to sit down next to Eren, pulling his legs on to his lap. “You should reward yourself.”

The statement doesn’t seem to ease Eren’s confusion at all. Nevertheless, he opens the box and lets out a tiny sigh as he brings it up to his nose to smell it. “Oh my God,” he moans, his eyes falling closed. Damn it, how can this boy sound so lewd even though he hasn’t yet put a single chocolate in his mouth?

Levi keeps rubbing tiny circles into the skin of Eren’s legs as he listens to him rant about work, plopping one chocolate after the other into his mouth. After he’s finished describing one particularly terrible customer who’d wanted his large cappuccino in a small cup, he gives a feeble groan and pushes the box of chocolates towards Levi. “You should take this away from me, they’re too good,” he insists with a shake of his head, fondness laced in his voice.

“Then I’m going to buy them for you every day,” Levi decides and Eren’s eyes widen almost comically. 

“You are impossible,” he huffs. “In all seriousness, please don’t, my thighs are already massive and this is not helping one bit.” 

“Your thighs,” Levi starts off, lightly squeezing at the aforementioned lovely and soft and supple thighs as if to emphasize his point, “are perfect, just like the rest of you. Eat all the chocolate you want.”

Eren’s squirming under his touch and flushed such a gorgeous shade of red that Levi can’t help but to kiss him, tasting irresistible sweetness off of his tongue. He feels Eren’s lips curving up into a smile against his, and the knowledge that Eren is smiling, all because of him, sends his heart soaring. As long as he can make Eren smile, be it with kisses or soft sweaters or chocolates - or in the best case, with all of the above - he doesn’t even need anything else. 


	32. warm

It's inevitable that he moves in with Levi only a few months after their reunion, dragging his very meager possessions over to his apartment. 

“It’s mostly books, really,” he explains awkwardly as he watches Levi peeking into one of the boxes. “And clothes and some other things.” 

“I see,” Levi mutters under his breath, a slight smile rising to his lips as he thumbs through Eren’s well-worn copy of The Merchant of Venice. 

It strikes him then, as it does on many occasions, but especially then when Levi’s sitting cross-legged on the floor and helping him sort through his things - if he’s soft, as Levi’s described him on numerous occasions, then Levi himself is definitely warm. 

Maybe it’s a bit of an odd adjective to describe the man who’d once been Humanity’s Strongest, and while he’s still just as straightforward and intelligent as before, his whole being radiates a sense of calm, steady warmth. He smiles so much more than before, the curve of his lips alight with fondness that’s reserved exclusively for Eren, and oh, how he loves it - seeing even the tiniest hint of a smile playing across Levi’s features always sends delicious flutters through him. Every kind word and endearment, every little touch and caress he bestows upon Eren is bursting with such gentle loving warmth that he could honestly cry from how safe it feels having Levi’s hands laid over his skin.

He’s still bad with words, or at least he claims so, but Eren knows that he’s trying and that’s more than enough for him. He thinks before he speaks, sometimes a little too much in Eren’s opinion, each word carefully chosen and often a little hesitant. It’s in the middle of the night while they’re watching the bright lights of the city or in the glow of the early morning sun when they’re tangled up in each other that Levi’s most unguarded and bared, enveloping Eren in his comforting warmth and whispering sleepy confessions into his neck. 

In addition to that, Levi’s just really warm to the touch, so it’s no wonder Eren finds any and every excuse to drape himself all over him. His favorite thing is to sneak up on Levi when he’s cooking or painting and wrap his arms around him from behind. Even in this life he’s a good few inches taller than Levi, so it’s the perfect position for resting his head against Levi’s and breathing in the scent of his cologne while he soaks up the lovely warmth Levi’s emitting.

“I have literally no idea what you even mean,” Levi insists whenever he brings it up. “You’re the former titan shifter, you should be the really warm one.”

It’s so, so much more than that, he wants to claim, because while Levi had been nothing but gentle and caring towards him in their past life, in this life he’s all that and so much more. He looks into Eren’s eyes, meets his gaze directly and lays a comforting hand on his arm whenever his thoughts are racing too fast and he starts rambling nonsense - all it takes is that simple warm touch to ground Eren and bring him back to the moment, no matter how lost he gets amongst memories of walls crumbling and bodies being ripped apart. Even then, he listens, he lets Eren rant and reminisce and cry into his shoulder afterwards if he needs to, but thankfully these days the both of them live more in the present than in the past. 

“I can’t wait for winter,” Eren mumbles into Levi’s neck one rainy afternoon when they’re sprawled on the couch together. “You’re going to be my personal heater.”

Levi honestly laughs at that, and even if it’s only a tiny chuckle, Eren feels so damn pleased that he can draw such a response from Levi. “We should hibernate through the winter,” he suggests with a yawn as he rubs tiny circles into Eren’s scalp. “I’d gladly cuddle with you for months.”   
  
He pecks Levi softly on the lips, and with a content little sigh, lays his head on his chest to listen to the faint yet steady beat of his heart. “Let’s do that,” he drawls and feels Levi smile into his hair. His body is warm and solid as Eren burrows further into his embrace, and the last thing on his mind before he dozes off is just how truly and utterly loved he is. 


	33. humid

Though Levi’s lived on the island for nearly ten years now, there are some things he’ll never grow accustomed to. Sure, the swaying palm trees and the easy-going and friendly attitude of the locals are what had prompted him to move there for good, not to mention the sunny weather. Winters are his favorite, because that’s usually when the flow of tourists eases at least a little and the temperature remains pleasantly warm.

Now, during summer, the sun is just a little too unforgiving for his tastes. Their guests seem to love it, though, many of them sunbathing by the pool for hours, and of course coming to Levi for refreshments. On particularly busy days like this he’s been allowed to snatch Hanji from the restaurant to help him serve drinks, a privilege that he uses quite often. Even though they have a fan whirring away behind the bar, it gets really damn hot and humid working through the sunniest hours of the day, so it’s no wonder Levi’s constantly reaching for a tissue to wipe off the sweat on his face.

They reach a bit of a lull and he finally gets the chance to sit down for a moment. He downs the rest of his water bottle in one swift gulp, swallowing the already lukewarm water before muttering, “Fucking hell.”

“I know,” Hanji calls out from where they’re wiping down the counter. “That one woman with the pink hat kept insisting that the ice in her drink wasn’t ‘cold enough’. People are horrible.”

He and Hanji have known each other for a long time, so it’s not uncommon for them to catch up on gossip and complain amongst themselves whenever they’re working together. Thankfully, no matter how wealthy, tourists are still tourists, and the vast majority of their customers don’t speak a word of Spanish, which leaves the two of them to talk to each other about whatever they feel like. Hanji seems to know everything about literally everyone, and even now they move to nudge Levi lightly as they nod towards the pool area.

“Have you seen the eyecandy that’s staying in the penthouse suite?” they ask with a waggle of their brows. “He’s just your type. The one who’s getting out of the pool just now, near the showers.”

Levi chuckles at that, but the laughter dies on his lips as soon as he notices the eyecandy Hanji’s referring to. “Damn,” he states, his gaze trailing from the strong lines of the man’s shoulders down to those shapely biceps and even lower along his sculpted abs as he follows the small trail of dark hair that disappears under the waistband of his shorts. His beautiful bronzed skin is shimmering with moisture, droplets falling from his wet hair as he rakes his hand through it. Unfortunately he’s soon covering up all those gorgeous muscles as he dries off with a towel, making Levi let out a disappointed sigh. “That body is a work of art.”

“Told you,” Hanji drawls out. “I heard he’s some German businessman. The lady who’s been cleaning his room claims that he leaves a tip for her every day.”

“I’d clean all of him, if you know what I mean,” Levi says flatly, still busy appreciating the hot German businessman’s back and thinking about how good that tan skin would look with his marks all over it. “I mean with my tongue.”

Just then the man happens to look over his shoulder and those brilliant green eyes lock on to his, almost as if he’d heard Levi’s words. He’s several feet away and supposedly German so it’s most likely not the case, but it still feels a little eerie. And damn, that shining green of his eyes does cause little nervous flutters to run through Levi.

He gives a polite smile before turning his attention back to Hanji. “He could tip me any day and in any position, if you catch my drift,” he goes on as he moves to restocking the fridge with more juice and lemonade. “Penthouse suite, huh?”

Hanji nods with a slight laugh. “Yeah, it’s the first time I’m seeing him around the pool, though.” They’re about to say something else but suddenly there’s a couple of British ladies asking for another cocktails by the counter, and Hanji reaches for the glasses with their usual customer service smile. It’s the same ladies who’d asked Levi to give them Sex by the Pool yesterday and he’s still not sure whether they’d been asking for some absurd drink or for actual sex by the pool, though their frantic blushing and giggles had hinted at the latter. He remains behind the counter just in case until Hanji’s handed them their drinks, inspecting the soda cans for a needlessly long time until he’s sure the sound of their footsteps has faded into the distance.

After the two ladies Hanji moves to serve a yet another customer, and Levi hears them pointing out the drinks menu to them in German. Maybe it’s the language that catches his attention, and as he turns his head and catches a glimpse of tan skin and messy brown hair he instantly knows who it is. He glances down along at the man’s body, you know, just to make sure, and yeah, those are definitely the abs he’d just been admiring.

He steps closer to the fan to soak up the gentle breeze blowing from it as he remarks, still in Spanish, “Look at that stomach. I would definitely do shots off of his abs.”

Hanji’s eyes widen as they sputter a little before barking out a laugh. “Damn, do I need to shove you into the pool in order to cool you off or something?”

“Probably, yeah. Shove him in with me while you’re at it,” he states as he discreetly steals a look at those sharp, handsome features. The German man seems completely oblivious to what they’re talking about, instead smiling at something on his phone while glancing through the list of drinks. “Seriously, that is the most gorgeous tourist I’ve ever seen.”

Just then he appears to have made up his mind, ordering one glass of orange juice and one Papaya Dream from Hanji. Levi hands them the juice and then resumes desperately trying to cool off by the fan. It’s not very effective, but then he gets the idea to also fan himself with one of their menus, and oh, God, what sweet relief from the humid warmth it brings him.

“He’s probably travelling with his wife,” he wonders out loud as Hanji passes him by on their way to grab the vodka. “Because that is our fruitiest cocktail.”

“Hey, I think it’s pretty good,” Hanji retorts, a little defensive.

“That only proves my point,” Levi replies with a cackle as Hanji rolls their eyes at him.

Hanji makes the man has drinks quickly enough and wishes him a good day. Just then Levi decides to pay specific attention on his ass as he’s walking away since he hasn’t yet had the chance to check out that part of him. His plan is severely impeded by the fact that the beautiful man happens to look up at him right at that moment, and before Levi knows it, he takes a few steps and is standing right in front on him on the other side of the counter.

Then, those green eyes alight with mischief, he says in perfect, if slightly accentuated Spanish, “This is for you.” He slides the glass of orange juice over to Levi. “Sounds like you’re a little hot.” His gaze flickers over Levi’s body appreciatively and he adds in a low voice, “Looks like it, too.”

“Uh.” It’s all he manages to get out, growing even redder and sweatier than he was before with those smoldering, playful eyes fixed on him. Hanji looks like they’re desperately trying not to laugh, which is not helping the situation at all.

“ _Hasta luego, cariño_ ,” the man says with a quirk of his lips before walking off, leaving behind the orange juice and a very flushed and mortified Levi. That apparently does it for Hanji and they burst into uncontrollable giggles, and amongst all the confusion, Levi doesn’t even remember to check out the man’s ass.

He does drink the orange juice, though, since it would just go down the drain otherwise, and despite of his embarrassment, he can’t help but to imagine how it might taste when licked off of the gorgeous stranger’s belly button.


	34. sunscreen

He agrees to meet Eren on the beach on his next day off, a decision which he ends up regretting almost immediately. Hanging out on the beach usually entails at least some degree of nudity, and for fuck’s sake, he’s spent enough time ogling at Eren by the pool to know that he’s build like an actual god. Which is better than fine, really, but it brings up two separate issues - one, he knows he’ll get hopelessly distracted by Eren’s arms or abs or other parts of him, and two, when compared to Eren, he himself is like a string bean that’s shriveled up in the sun, not to mention that if he takes off his shirt he might just accidentally blind Eren with his pasty complexion.

What’s done is done, though, and during the couple of days leading up to their date, Eren seems a little less shameless than before. He still flirts with Levi whenever he comes to order a drink, but he’s toned down the seductive glances and dramatic flexing. It’s probably due to the fact that the couple of older Finnish ladies who’ve taken to sitting by the bar seem to be under the impression that he’s trying to seduce them instead of Levi. Levi doesn’t care, either way, and he certainly isn’t flooded with sudden murderous jealousy when the aforementioned ladies giggle amongst themselves and stare at his Eren like a piece of meat.    
  
_ Begone, you witches, _ he feels like blurting out, but instead he just pretends to not speak a word of English and waters down their drinks at every possible opportunity. 

The thought of meeting Eren outside of the hotel somehow sends nervous little flutters down to the pit of his stomach, and he spends most of the morning agonizing over what to wear. Jeans are probably too much for just going to the beach, but then again, he’s not too sure if flaunting his chicken legs in front of Eren would be such a good idea. In the end he decides on a pair of shorts that reach just above the knees, along with a plain white t-shirt. It’s just a day on the beach, probably not even a real date or anything, just a couple of guys hanging out and all that. 

Eren had kissed him, he remembers just then as he stares at his reflection from the mirror. Eren had kissed him like it was no big deal, his lips warm and inviting against Levi’s, and though it’s been nearly a week from that occurrence, Levi still remembers how soft and thorough he’d been. 

He arrives at the beach ten minutes earlier than they’d agreed on. His plan had been to get there ahead of time and find his composure before Eren arrived, but it’s not working out too well since he finds Eren already lounging on one of the sunbeds perched in the shade of the palm trees, a little more secluded than all the others. And of course he’s clad in just his swimming trunks, sitting there without a care in the world and seemingly unaware of the fact that the sight of that broad, muscled chest is sending Levi into a minor crisis. 

“Hey,” he greets Levi as he approaches, his lips lazily quirking up into a smile. “How’s it going?”

Okay, this is it, he’s going to be smooth and seductive and sweep Eren off his feet. “Yeah,” he replies and instantly wants to bury himself into the sand. “Uh, I mean, good. And you?”

There’s a wild joyful glint dancing in Eren’s eyes as he states, “Much better now that you’re here. Take a seat, I was saving this one for you.” He nudges the sunbed next to him with his foot, and Levi does as suggested, plopping down ungracefully. Eren’s gaze feels heavy and hot on him, and even though they’re in the shade he just knows he’s sweating profusely and red in the face.

“It’s odd seeing you out of uniform. You’re still very handsome, though,” Eren remarks lightly, something in his face shifting a little when he locks eyes with Levi.

His heart pounding away in his ears, he quips, “I’ve only seen you in various states of undress, so I don’t really have much to compare to, but you look nice as always.”

It’s such a lame compliment - Eren is so much better than nice, he’s divine, out of this world, on a whole another level and so far out of Levi’s reach, yet here they are, spending time together on the beach. Against all odds, he soon finds himself laughing along to Eren’s jokes and even cracking a few of his own. Eren has the most adorable dimples whenever he smiles, and Levi can’t believe he’s never noticed them until now because they’re so damn cute that he’s nearly swooning. 

At one point, as Eren’s applying some sunscreen on his arms and chest, he glances at Levi from between his lashes and asks, “Would you mind doing my back? I can just never quite reach it.”

Of course Levi agrees, and as Eren turns to lay on his stomach, he can’t help but to draw in a sharp breath at the beautiful display in front of him. The sculpted muscles of Eren’s shoulders, the gentle curve of his back, and oh, boy, his shorts are hanging so low on his hips that Levi can just barely catch a glimpse of where the cleft of his ass begins. And what an ass it is, so invitingly round and perky and perfect for groping, and fucking hell, Levi needs to calm down right now before he sinks his teeth right into it or something.

He clears his throat a few times, popping the bottle of sunscreen open and pouring a generous amount of it on to Eren’s back. Realistically speaking, he knows that he’ll have to touch Eren in order to actually rub the sunscreen into his skin, but it feels almost sacrilegious somehow. Eren is a work of art, something that should be placed on a pedestal and worshipped, so it’s no wonder that Levi feels hesitant laying his sweaty and trembling hands on him. 

After a number of deep breaths, he at last sets to work, starting from Eren’s shoulders. He lets out a tiny sigh as Levi massages at the tight knots at the base of his neck, flinching a little when he presses down more forcefully. “Does it hurt?” he asks just to clarify, and Eren’s quick to shake his head. 

“It’s a good kind of pain. Keep going,” he calls out, his eyes falling closed as he relaxes into Levi’s touch. He looks so unguarded and innocent like this, a stark contrast to Levi’s first impression of him. Not to mention that Levi has him completely at his mercy, and as much as he’s trying - and failing - to keep his thoughts as pure as he can, his eyes are just naturally drawn to the curve of Eren’s ass as he imagines how it would feel to squeeze at that supple flesh and rub in some lotion into the smooth skin of his buttocks. 

Okay, he has to calm down right now. It’s their first date, they’re on a public beach, and, first and foremost, Eren is a guest at their hotel. What he’s doing now is already highly unprofessional, and he definitely shouldn’t go any further. 

He smooths his hands down along Eren’s back and spreads the lotion out further, and just then Eren happens to let out a tiny content mewl under his breath. 

“Yeah, just like that. Keep going,” he sighs. It’s a good thing Levi’s wearing loose shorts today because the current situation is definitely causing some reaction downstairs.  _ Don’t make it weird, _ he tells both himself and his loins while he’s rubbing lotion on to Eren’s lower back. He’s so damn close, and if he really wanted to, he could easily slip his hands under Eren’s shorts for just a moment or two, just a tiny little squeeze. 

No. No. He’s a decent human being.  _ No. _

He lets out a long labored breath as he moves off and sets the bottle of sunscreen aside, now finished with his work. “You’ve gotten a really good tan already, though. It’s really--”

Eren’s head snaps up, slightly irritated green eyes staring at Levi. “For fuck’s sake, how dense are you?” he complains and reaches out to grab Levi by the collar of his shirt as he drags him down for a kiss. 

It’s such an unexpected action that it’s no wonder Levi falls flat on his ass in the sand. Eren comes tumbling along with him, which leaves him laying right on top of Levi as he’s kissing him like he wants to eat him up. When Levi squirms around a little his thigh happens to brush against something long and hard, and unless that’s the bottle of sunscreen, it seems like he’s not the only one getting a little excited. 

He’s left out of breath and flushed when Eren finally draws back, and for a while all he can do is stare. There’s an unspoken question in Eren’s eyes as he observes Levi with both interest and hesitation. “Well?” he asks.

“It’s our first date,” Levi says weakly, even though he’s not sure if this actually counts as a date.

“I’ll take you on a dozen other dates,” Eren replies solemnly. “Dinners, movies, anything you want.”

“We’re on a public beach.” It’s the next item on his list of why he’s a terrible person and this is a terrible idea, but in all honestly, when Eren’s looking at him like that, his resolution is rapidly crumbling. 

There’s almost a purr to Eren’s voice as he suggests, “You should come back to my room, then. It’ll be more private.”

That’s just the problem, though. “You’re a guest at the hotel where I work at,” Levi finishes off with a huff, because this really isn’t appropriate in any sense of the word.

“I’ll buy the whole damn hotel if that’s what bothers you.” Eren looks so serious and determined that Levi finds himself letting out a dry laugh. “I’m not kidding, I could afford it.” 

“I’m sure you could,” he replies with a roll of his eyes, losing his train of thought for a moment when Eren licks a wet stripe down along his neck. “Doesn’t sound very ethical, though, screwing your boss.” 

Eren’s brows furrow a little at the statement. “I was mainly thinking of courting you at first,” he informs Levi, almost a little bashful. “We’ll get to the, ah, screwing part later.”

“What a gentleman.” Levi knows he’s smiling like an idiot right now as he nudges his knee at the hardness that’s still pressed up against him. “So what’s this, then, an extra bottle of sunscreen?”   
  
“That’s all your fault!” Eren protests loudly, a pink shade dusted over his cheeks, but he’s smiling, too, those dimples in full view, and Levi thinks they’re probably even more tempting than his ass. 

After a few more kisses, a short dip in the shimmering turquoise ocean and a shared ice cream, Levi has absolutely no regrets. It’s not too bad for a first date, especially when Eren had promised him countless more dates. “Literally anything,” he’d repeated when they’d been saying goodbye. “Whatever your heart desires. Just say the word.” 

“How about just dinner for now?” Levi had suggested. “Please, do not buy the hotel. I’d get no work done with you around.”

Eren had laughed at that, and Levi had finally given into his whims and planted a chaste kiss at both of his dimples   
  



	35. Chapter 35

His shift ends at four am, a few hours earlier than usual since Petra’s agreed to cover for him. Even at ass o’clock she’s as chipper as ever, greeting Levi with a smile as she arrives to work.

“How the fuck do you do it?” he asks, genuinely curious. It’s his third - and thankfully final - night shift in a row, and each and every morning he’s handed the reigns to Petra who’s always beaming like the sun, no matter what time it is. 

She shrugs and fills her coffee cup to the brim before responding, “That’s what working in fast food eventually does to you. Makes you dead inside.” 

Though Levi’s already clocked out, he spends a few moments making himself the cheesiest and greasiest bacon cheeseburger imaginable along with a box of nuggets. With his food in the bag, he’s quick to bid farewell to their fry cook and Petra, his mind already on the ten-hour nap he plans on taking. Sleep, food, and the company of a certain bright-eyed beauty are usually enough to invigorate him after long hours of work, so it’s no wonder that he speeds through a few red lights on his way home. 

Their apartment is dark and quiet as he enters, and it’s not until he's toed off his shoes and hung up his jacket that he notices the faint glow coming from the kitchen. Eren probably forgot to turn off the light before heading to bed, he figures, since goodness knows that boy’s more than a little scatterbrained at times. However, when he reaches for the kitchen with his thoughts already on the cheesy bacon delight he’s about to consume, the sight that unfolds in front of his eyes causes him to let out a long sight.

Eren’s seated there by the kitchen table, exactly where Levi had left him a little over eight hours ago, the only difference that his head is now resting on the keys of his laptop as he snores away. There are numerous thick textbooks and stray papers surrounding him, along with a half-eaten bag of potato chips and some empty energy drink cans. He’s said he’d only study for a couple more hours as Levi had kissed him goodbye, but by the looks of it, the poor darling has been hunched over his work for so long that he’s fallen asleep in the middle of it. 

“Rise and shine, pretty boy,” Levi drawls as he shakes Eren by the shoulder. It only prompts a faint groan from him, so Levi shakes him a little harder, watching as those green eyes slowly flutter open. 

Eren jerks up in one shaky motion, glancing around in their dimly lit kitchen like he’s been caught with his pants down, which, admittedly, is exactly what’s happened. “Huh? What? Wait, what time is it?” he mumbles, panic creeping into his voice as his eyes dart from Levi to the darkened screen of his laptop. 

“Time for you to go the fuck to sleep,” Levi states firmly. “It’s past four am. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Midterms,” Eren sighs, and is about to go on, but his stomach decides to interrupt him with a loud gurgle. 

With his nose crinkling up in distaste, Levi picks up the bag of chips and some of the empty can. “Please tell me you’ve had something else to eat than just this crap.”

“We had dinner earlier, didn’t we?” Eren asks and yawns so widely that it’s a small wonder he doesn’t unhinge his jaw in the process. 

“That was nearly twelve hours ago.” In all honesty, he’s trying to decide whether to aggressively tuck Eren into bed right now or to first shake him around some more because clearly there’s not an awful lot rattling around in his head if he thinks that studying all night is a good idea. “Let me guess, you’ve been sitting here ever since I left even though I very clearly told you to go sleep before midnight.”

“Oh, shup up, mom,” Eren says and sticks his tongue out at him. The nerve on this boy is unbelievable - he’s sitting there without a care in the world, having completely disregarded Levi’s sensible advice about the dangers of pulling all-nighters. If he didn’t look so damn adorable with his messy bed head - or rather laptop head, Levi notes irritably - and sleepy gaze, he’d be getting scolded so hard right now. But as it happens, Levi’s so damn weak when it comes to Eren that all he can do is pat him on the head in a vaguely admonishing manner.

He plops the bag of freshly cooked fast food in front of Eren and states in a firm voice, “Eat this. Then it’s off to bed with you at once.” With that, he sets to work gathering up all the books and notes laid out on the kitchen table, casting a withering glance at Eren over his shoulder since he can practically hear all the protests on the tip of Eren’s tongue. “No buts”

“But I swear, I only have a couple of chapters to go, I’ll be done after that,” Eren exclaims, trailing off as his attention is drawn to the scent wafting from the small paper bag. “You brought food?”

“Eat it,” Levi repeats, a little softer this time as he sees moisture glistening at the corner of Eren’s eye. “I’m going to take a quick shower while you do so, and then we’re going straight to bed.”

“Fucking hell, I love you,” Eren all but moans as he digs into the bag, but then, when Levi’s already halfway to the bathroom he calls out, “Wait, this is your favorite burger, I can’t eat it if it’s for you.”

“You can and you will,” Levi answers without any hesitation, because honestly, he’d munched on fries and leftover cheeseburgers for at least half of his shift while his innocent yet idiotic sweetheart had toiled away all night with no regard for his own well-being. “That burger better be gone by the time I get back.”

He showers in record time, washing off the grease and sweat and stress as quickly as he can. Halfway through he notices he’s accidentally grabbed Eren’s bottle of soap instead of his own, which probably contributes quite a lot to how damn relaxed he feels as he rinses the suds off of his skin. Maybe he should try out Eren’s things more often, he wonders as he stands under the hot spray, surrounded by the scent of mint and apple that always reminds him of Eren. 

The burger is almost gone by the time he’s back in the kitchen. Eren’s eyes have a glassy look in them as he blinks a few times. “It has extra pickles. You love pickles,” he states in a hoarse voice that nearly cracks at the end. 

“Are you seriously crying over extra pickles?” Levi asks with a raised brow as he finishes toweling through his hair, sitting down across from Eren and stealing one of the untouched chicken nuggets from him. “Eat these, as well.” 

“I am  _ not _ crying!” Eren argues and sniffles loudly, casting a sad look at the nearly finished burger as he mutters, “I robbed you of your burger.”

Levi lets out a very long sigh. “You are so ridiculous. You nerd.” 

Eren does end up eating all of the burger though he does let out a few tiny sniffles in the process. He insists on feeding the nuggets to Levi, which he agrees to after a little grumbling. After all, it does feel pretty nice to feel Eren’s fingers lingering on his lips and gently stroking along his jaw every now and then. 

“Romantic nugget eating,” Eren states flatly before dissolving into frantic giggles. Levi’s mouth is full of nuggets at that point so all he can do is glare at him and roll his eyes. It really shows that Eren’s been up for far too long. 

“Just millennial things,” he replies after swallowing, and, on a whim, presses his lips against Eren’s knuckles in a light kiss. It only makes Eren giggle harder, a faint, barely-there blush rising to his cheeks, and though they’re literally just eating nuggets in the middle of the night, Levi thinks that Eren looks so damn ethereal just then. His eyes are sparkling with joy and his skin glows a warm golden brown in the dim light of the kitchen, and if both of them weren’t so tired, Levi wouldn’t be opposed to ravaging him right there on the kitchen table. 

With their impromptu meal finished, Levi has to all but drag Eren into the bedroom. Once there, he wastes no time in bundling both of them up in soft blankets, and, oh, God, it feels like literal heaven to have Eren in his arms again. He does complain a little but soon settles down against Levi, mumbling under his breath about how he only had a few chapters to read.

“I love you, sweetheart, but you’re such an idiot,” Levi sighs into his hair. “Why do you keep doing this?”

“Midterms,” Eren states, sounding like he’s just about to doze off. “I’ll fail.” 

“You won’t,” Levi reassures him with a kiss on his forehead. “You’re the most hardworking person I know. Maybe a little too much so, even.”

Eren squirms in his embrace, a pleased smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Tell me more about how excellent I am.” 

And so he does, whispering compliments into Eren’s ear and pressing chaste little kisses all over his face. It’s moments like these when he’s so overcome by just how fucking much he loves Eren - loves everything about him, his determination and dedication, how he’ll manage to brighten Levi’s day with his mere presence and how he puts so much emotion into every single word and action and consequently makes Levi feel so damn loved. Even when he does the exact opposite of what Levi suggests, such as staying up all night to study, all he feels for this lovely boy is an overwhelming sense of protectiveness, tinged with warmth and fondness and just the tiniest bit of annoyance, and even that is washed away when Eren softly laces their fingers together under the covers. 

“You’re a butthole,” he whispers to Eren, “and I’m never leaving you home alone for the night, and you’re a total butthole.” 

Eren says nothing, the only response being the steady, calm rhythm of his breathing and the tiny snore that escapes him.


	36. Chapter 36

“I love you,” he tells Eren as they’re laying on the couch together, Eren’s back pressed up against his chest and all of him soft and relaxed in Levi’s arms.

Eren’s gaze remains glued on to the screen of his 3DS where he’s probably planting carrots on his virtual farm or something. “That’s nice, dear.” As if to affirm that he’d been listening, he reaches up to pat Levi’s face, somewhat clumsy both due to their position and the fact that his attention is clearly elsewhere.

“No, listen,” Levi starts off again, his arms winding tighter around Eren as he rests his chin on his shoulder. “I love you.”

Now Eren at least gives a roll of his eyes and even pecks Levi lightly on the nose. “Heard you the first time.” Then, as he shuffles around a little and buries himself deeper into the fabric of his loose sweater, he quips under his breath, “Love you, too.” And there it is, that lovely little blush, just the faintest pink glow spread over Eren’s cheeks.

“You’re really cute,” Levi informs him matter-of-factly, because it is an undisputable fact, after all.

There’s a few moments of indignant sputtering before Eren smacks him on the shoulder, far too casual for it to actually hurt. The redness on his face only deepens and his lips are quirking up into a tiny smile, not to mention the joyous light dancing in his eyes that are still cast downwards at his game. Though he tries to duck his head in an effort to hide away, Levi knows fully well that he’s incredibly ticklish along his stomach, and he uses that fact to his advantage as he wrestles the two of them into a position where he has a better view of Eren’s cute face and his even cuter blush.

He trails kisses over his jawline, over his dimples, up along the bridge of his nose and beyond until Eren’s a laughing and flustered mess under him, his hair splayed over the cushions in delicate wisps and every inch of him thrumming with wild happiness that bursts out of his mouth with each breathless giggle and makes Levi fall in love all over again.

There are things he’s forgotten about their past lives, and there are things he remembers. Among the latter, there’s one particular thought that keeps resurfacing: that Eren is a good boy.

It’s very true in this life, as well, he notices soon after Eren’s moved in with him. Levi had honestly laughed when he’d suggested paying rent or at least half of the utilities, but after realizing that Eren had been serious with that idea, he’d very firmly told him that there was no need for such things. The kid’s still going to school, for fuck’s sake, that’s already enough of a strain on his finances.

Eren had insisted on doing something, and though back then Levi had just waved him off, he shouldn’t have been so surprised to one day come home to a freshly baked raspberry pie on the kitchen table.

“It’s my mom’s special recipe, but I don’t know if I made it as good as she does,” Eren explains in a meek voice, standing there in a flour-covered apron and fiddling with the strings as Levi stares at the pie. “Uh, it’s not much but if you like it I could try making more stuff in the future.”

His eyes are watering before he can stop it, hands clenching tighter at the doorframe where he’d stopped dead in his tracks. “It’s,” he starts off, clearing his throat a few times. Fuck, no-one’s ever baked for him before so he’s not exactly sure what the proper reaction is, but it certainly can’t be bursting into tears. It’s just a pie, he tells himself as he blinks profusely. A pie that Eren had lovingly made for him, putting all of his dedication and gratitude and feelings into it. It’s not _just_ a pie, it’s the ultimate expression of love, one that Levi surely hasn’t earned but which Eren had still decided to grace him with.

“Holy shit, are you crying?” Eren asks, panic laced in his voice. “Fuck, I’m so sorry, I should’ve asked for permission before using all your appliances. Are you allergic to raspberries? I’m sorry, I’ll get rid of it right now.”

“I’m not crying,” he mutters as he bites back a sob. “And don’t. I love it. I love you.”

The pie tastes rich and sweet with a delicious hint of tanginess, even if he’s still sniffling a little as they eat it together. Eren holds his hand, rubbing comforting circles into his palm and gently running his fingertips over the places where Levi’s been picking at his cuticles again. Though he doesn’t say anything, Levi can almost feel him mentally scolding him for his bad habit.

“I love you,” he says quietly and squeezes Eren’s hand.

“Aw, I love you too,” Eren coos and gives him a happy little kiss that lasts only for a couple of seconds, and as he’s about to draw back, Levi pulls him right back in by the collar of his shirt.

“You don’t get it.” He tries again, treacherous heat reddening the tips of his ears as he says it again, carefully weighing each word and trying to distinguish how they taste in his mouth. “I _love_ you.”

Eren kisses him for the second time, this time a little more intense, and after that, the third time, and though Levi still thinks those three words don’t quite convey the magnitude of his emotions for Eren, at least they’ve earned him some more kisses.  

That night he whispers countless compliments against Eren’s skin, drinking up each tiny moan and whimper that falls from him as they make love. Praise in all its forms leaves Eren begging for more, just as it had in their past life, and of course Levi doesn’t have the heart to deny his good boy of the compliments he so rightfully deserves. He’s Levi’s good boy, always has been and always will be, so beautiful, so kind, always so eager and giving his best.

Afterwards they’re laying together under the covers, their breaths mingling together and slowly evening out. Levi shifts around so that he can cup Eren’s face, turning it from side to side and taking in his features. He really is gorgeous, especially now when he’s still slightly flushed and his eyes are a little glazed over as he gives Levi a questioning look.

“You’re very handsome,” Levi says. It has to be the understatement of the year - Eren is so much more than just handsome, he’s breathtaking, ethereal, beautiful both inside and out, turning Levi into a bumbling pile of goo with just one smile, so it’s no wonder that words fail him whenever he tries to express just how damn much Eren means to him.

“Huh?” Eren mumbles, brows knitting together as he tries to process the statement.

“You’re very handsome. Both from a regular person’s and an artist’s point of view.” He strokes his fingers along Eren’s jaw and upwards over his cheekbones, intimately studying the contours of his face. “I love you.”

“Just because I’m handsome? How shallow,” Eren sighs, his lips drawing up into a teasing smile. He leans into Levi’s touch, letting out a content little noise as Levi trails his touch down along his neck.

It’s more than that, so much more that at times he feels like he’s suffocating under the weight of the sheer adoration and affection that he holds for this sweet boy who is limitless light and joy incarnate and has somehow agreed to be Levi’s. “I love you,” he says. That’s all he gets out of his mouth, three little words even though someone like Eren deserves entire novels about them.

But Eren gets it, he always gets it. He gets Levi and all his awkwardness and quirks and insecurities. “I love you, too,” he whispers back, his voice tinged with sleepy warmth as his fingers clasp on to Levi’s, strong and reassuring. There’s a tiny blush settling over his face, eyes hazy yet full of pure and unashamed love, and it’s quite possibly the happiest that Levi’s ever seen him.

“Thank you,” he breathes against Eren’s lips just before kissing him, sending out his gratitude to whatever cosmic force had brought them together again. Wrapped up in Eren’s scent and his soft golden skin and the feel of his silky hair between his fingers, Levi swears that this time around he’ll give Eren everything he’d missed out on.


	37. Chapter 37

“Thanks, babe,” Eren mutters as Levi hands him the spatula. “Thought I’d almost lost this.”

Thankfully he’s so immersed in measuring the correct amount of flour into the bowl that he doesn’t notice Levi freezing in place for just a moment. He snaps back to reality soon enough, anyway, Eren’s words echoing in his head as he watches those skilled hands mixing the dough. _Babe._ Eren had called him babe like it was no big deal. 

As it happens, Levi’s horrible when it comes to cooking and baking, so he settles for simply watching Eren as he molds the cookie dough into small spheres that he places on to the pan. He’s chatting away as he does so, about how he’d always bother his mom while she was busy in the kitchen so that eventually she had no choice but to let him help. That’s what had sparked his interest in baking, and after finding out that Levi had never even used his mixer or any of the colorful bowls in his kitchen cupboards, Eren had insisted that they should start baking together. 

They end up watching the cookies through the oven door as if they could burn to crisps in a matter of seconds, seated side by side on the floor. Eren’s holding on to his hand all the while, the skin of his palm soft and warm against Levi’s. It’s pretty nice, especially when Eren rubs his thumb over his knuckles lightly and rambles on about the pros and cons of adding cornstarch into cookie dough, a topic on which Levi has absolutely no opinion. 

Fifteen minutes later the cookies are done, and as Eren’s carefully lifting them on to a plate he winks at Levi and states, “Sweets for my sweetheart. You should let them cool a little before tasting them, though.” 

This time around Levi can feel himself flushing, and it’s no wonder - Eren hadn’t only called him a sweetheart, but _his_ sweetheart, which makes it all the more special. 

“Um,” he says in a truly eloquent response, heat crawling up along his face and neck. 

The situation is not at all helped by the fact that Eren’s full attention is on him now, those brilliant green eyes staring him down with playful curiosity. “Are you okay, love?” he asks with a hint of concern in his voice, reaching forward to grasp Levi’s hand again. 

This time all he gets out is a strained gasp, his whole being itching to hear more sweet words from Eren. Fucking hell, out of all the sappy things in the world, are casual pet names really going to be what leave him so damn flustered and speechless? They’ve been living together for a good few months now, this is something he should already be used to instead of being reduced into a stuttering mess. 

Eren waves a hand in front of his face, brows raised in amusement. “Darling? Are you there?” That one word means everything to Levi - it’s laced with all the fondness that Eren holds for him and _only_ for him, his voice painted with warm glowing hues each and every time when he calls Levi his darling or sweetheart or love. All it takes is a single word to remind him that he is so damn loved, that Eren honestly adores him with his whole being, with such a pure and gentle and soothing love that it almost feels like a divine blessing.

He sputters a few times, takes a deep breath and then asks, “Why do you keep calling me those things? Like, s-sweetheart and stuff like that?”

“Would you prefer me to not call you anything like that?” Eren asks, just as straightforward as always, and Levi rushes to shake his head.

“It’s not that,” he protests, falling silent as he searches for the right words. Damn it, there isn’t really any way to say that he kind of likes it without sounding far too embarrassing, so instead he just grabs one of the cookies and shoves it into his mouth. “Oh, these are really good.”

Eren hums in agreement as he wraps his arms around Levi. “Glad you like them, hon,” he replies, going on in what sounds almost like a purr. “My cutie cupcake.”

He nearly chokes on the cookie as he lets out a loud laugh. “Okay, that one just sounds ridiculous.”

“My sweetie pie. My precious cinnamon bun,” Eren goes on, and Levi can feel that smug asshole smiling against his shoulder. 

“Those are all terrible,” he says, even though his face is heating up and there’s uncontrollable flutters burrowing into the pit of his stomach. He has it so bad, and even now he’s torn between wriggling away from Eren’s embrace or demanding more sickeningly sweet endearments. “You’re an ass.”

“Whatever you say, babe,” Eren states, lazily twirling a lock of Levi’s hair around his finger. “I always knew you were all soft and gooey inside.”

“It’s your fault,” he argues while snatching up an another cookie, making himself more comfortable in Eren’s arms. “You did this to me, with your fucking perfect everything. How dare you?”

“I’m sorry, darling.” He can feel Eren’s chest vibrating with silent laughter, a sure sign that he’s not sorry at all, and before he knows it, Eren’s leaned in to steal a kiss from him. “Hmm, you’re right, it tastes pretty good. Or maybe that’s just you, my love.”


	38. Chapter 38

“Don’t be long,” Eren says and purses his lips, fixing Levi with an impatient glare when he doesn’t instantly swoop in to kiss him.

“Eren,” he replies, clasping his hand over Eren’s where he’s still holding on to Levi’s shirt. “I’m only going to the fridge. If you turn your head a little you can see me the entire time.”

The answer doesn’t seem to please Eren, his brows knitting together and mouth drawing downwards into a tiny, irresistible pout. “You should give me a goodbye kiss just in case, though,” he argues, and with a sigh Levi finally gives in and brushes his lips against Eren’s, just as he always does.

It’s always nice kissing Eren, even if he’s completely ridiculous at times with his eager demands. Levi remembers him being very affectionate even before, but in this life he’s downright shameless with his gentle touches and beaming smiles. It’s no wonder that Levi can never resist and instead grants him whatever he wants - kisses, compliments, all the soft and warm clothes in the world, because Eren honestly deserves everything.

Since Eren seems to have taken a liking to trying out various recipes and otherwise experimenting in the kitchen, he’s most often the one doing the grocery shopping. He’s out and about most of the day, but in the evenings he’ll return with a plastic bag full of vegetables and fruits and other assorted items from the nearby corner store. Levi’s diet has previously consisted mainly of frozen foods and takeaway, so it’s quite a pleasant change. Eren’s very patient and thorough in his attempts to teach Levi to cook, and though he doesn’t think he’s that good yet, Eren always makes sure to praise him for his efforts.

It’s been raining since morning, and thankfully Eren’s left his shoes by the door before making his way to the kitchen with the groceries. He’d had to head for class at the crack of dawn when Levi had still been sleeping, and even though he’s spent the whole day first in class and then at work, not to mention that he’s soaked to the bone, he still flashes Levi a bright smile. Before doing anything that a normal person would do, like putting away the groceries or even taking off his wet jacket, he loosely winds his arm around Levi and plants a big, sloppy kiss right on his mouth.

_So cold_ , Levi remarks mentally, nearly yelping when Eren’s hand finds its way under his shirt. “You’re freezing,” he complains with a shiver. “Go and get yourself out of those clothes right now.”

“Oh my,” Eren croons with a wiggle of his brows. “Getting right to the point, are we?”

“That’s not what I meant, you idiot.” Though he’s trying his best to look stern, he’s sure that the smile lingering on his face is kind of ruining the effect. “Change into something warm and dry, you’re gonna catch a cold like that.”

“Missed you,” Eren says before kissing him again, this time with a little more finesse, and Levi swears he can feel his heart melting with how much he loves this boy.

It’s not the only thing he feels, though - Eren’s wet clothes are pressed up against him and making him cold, too, so soon enough he’s nudging Eren back, regretting it almost instantly when he makes a wounded little noise at the back of his throat at being separated from Levi.

“I missed you, too, but you’re not gonna be walking around in our apartment like that, dripping water all over the floors,” he huffs as he rakes back some of the wet hair that’s falling in Eren’s face. “Honestly, you should’ve just made a beeline for the bathroom.”

“Wanted a welcome home kiss first.” He pecks Levi on the lips in a featherlight caress. “You’re all I need to warm up, baby.”

“That was your third welcome kiss now, so off you go,” Levi insists with a fond roll of his eyes, taking the groceries from Eren. “Hurry up and get changed, I’ll put these away for you.”

After one last kiss, Eren finally goes off in the direction of the bathroom, looking stupidly happy even though his shirt is clinging on to his skin and he’s leaving wet tracks all over the kitchen in his wake.

There are many kisses shared as they cook together, innocent, chaste ones that leave Levi’s stomach alight with pleasant flutters. Even if it’s just doing everyday things together, when Eren’s with him it all feels more magical somehow.

Even during moments that are considerably less innocent, Eren is still as precious and endearing as ever. It’s all soft kisses and caresses whenever they go to bed together, quiet moans spilling forth from Eren’s mouth at every touch. It’s moments like those when Levi can’t stop praising him, his hands searching out Eren’s most sensitive places and worshipping his body.

Eren’s ass has such a perfect shape and ampleness to it, so soft and full and inviting under Levi’s touch. As such, he of course eats it like the decadent gourmet meal it is, his nails leaving tiny marks on the skin of Eren’s buttocks as he spreads him out and drags his tongue over his hole in slow purposeful licks. Eren’s squirming and moaning under him, rubbing himself against the sheets and nearly crying with pleasure as Levi sinks his tongue past the rim of his hole.

Afterwards he crawls up along Eren’s body and wrap his arms around him, and though both of them are still trying to catch their breaths, Eren looks at him with soft, glowing eyes and leans towards him in an effort to capture his lips in a kiss. He’s quite sluggish after what had seemed like an earth-shattering orgasm, so luckily Levi has plenty of time to clamp a hand over his mouth. Eren whines against his palm, his voice too muffled for Levi to make out the words.

“You’re so cruel,” he states after Levi’s pulled his hand back. “It’s been ages since you last kissed me.”

It’s been maybe half an hour at most, but that’s beside the point. “You know where my mouth has been and you still want a kiss?” Levi asks in an incredulous voice, not sure whether he should be amused or grossed out - but then again, he’s the one who’d just had his face buried in Eren’s ass, so he’s not really the right person to judge what’s gross or not.

“I always want kisses,” Eren replies with a grin, cheeks flushed as he worms in closer, puckering up his lips expectantly.

“Fair enough,” Levi says and kisses him, slow and sweet and so in love.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based on [ this amazing fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6495157/chapters/14867761)by kirakiracats

“Nice ass,” Levi blurts out without really even thinking, his eyes glued on to the ample curve of Eren’s ass. He just so happens to be laying on his stomach in such a position that causes his boxers to hitch up a little, exposing the lovely crease where his round buttocks meet the softness of his thighs. Honestly, he’s just lazing around in his sleepwear with a serious case of bedhead, definitely not trying to be so alluring on purpose, yet here Levi is, so entranced that all he can do is stare. 

Eren rolls his eyes, a faint blush tinging his cheeks. “It’s not even eight am yet, how are you already so damn horny?” he asks with a huff as he tugs Levi back from where he’d just been reaching for his phone. “Don’t even think about going anywhere, it’s too damn early.” 

That’s not what he’d had on his mind, so he gladly lets Eren pull him back into bed. Instead of settling down at his usual place in Eren’s arms, he wriggles his way into the space between Eren’s legs, grasping on to his hips and keeping him firmly in place. It takes a few moments for him to find the right position since Eren keeps squirming and protesting, a few breathless giggles escaping him as Levi trails his fingers along his sides in light motions. Eventually he gets Eren to settle down with some well-timed kisses along his lower back and a demanding squeeze at the supple flesh of his ass. 

“This is an excellent ass. Well done,” Levi states, his touch wandering up along Eren’s thigh and sneaking under the fabric of his boxers. 

“Thanks?” Eren sputters, and though he’s hidden his face in the pillow, Levi can see his neck and ears flushed in a brilliant shade of red. “You weirdo.” 

He decides to ignore that last part in favor of tugging down Eren’s boxers, and as he pulls them lower along his thighs, he can’t help but to let out a low whistle. “Fuck,” he sighs as he leans down to skim his lips over Eren’s ass. “So damn lovely, Eren. You have no idea how gorgeous you are.”

Feeling especially daring, he scrapes his teeth over the skin of Eren’s buttocks, which earns him a strained gasp. From previous experience, he knows Eren to be highly sensitive in this area, so he takes his time kneading at the supple flesh of his ass, planting tiny kisses wherever he can reach. Eren’s always so responsive and vocal, and even know Levi can tell he’s probably chewing on his pillow in an effort to keep quiet, a fact which he’s often reprimanded Eren on. 

Since his reprimands obviously haven’t had the desired effect, maybe he should administer some proper discipline. He raises his hand and then brings it down, his palm colliding with Eren’s ass in what’s only a gentle slap but that still causes Eren to jolt, a needy moan falling from his lips as he grinds himself down against the sheets. 

“Oh, did you like that?” Levi asks with amusement in his voice, even though the answer is obvious - if he reached around he could easily wrap his fingers around Eren’s hardening cock, but for now, that luscious ass is the sole object of his affection. “Kinky. I’ve barely even touched you yet.” 

“Maybe you should do that, then,” Eren suggests as he glances at Levi over his shoulder, the green of his eyes alight with playful fondness. “Touch me more, that is.”

“I definitely should,” he admits, carefully filing away Eren’s reaction to the light spanking, just for future reference. For now, though, he wants to cover that perfect ass in all the light kisses and loving touches, wants to worship with each and every fiber of his being. “Such round and perky ass should be appreciated every single day.” 

Eren laughs at that, though it turns into a moan halfway through when Levi cups his ass with both of his hands, his nails lightly digging into its softness. “It’s just an ass,” he breathes out, angling his hips down in search of friction for his forgotten erection. 

“It’s your ass, so it’s perfect. Just like the rest of you, really.” He doesn’t even care if that sounds sappy, because fucking hell, he loves Eren, honestly loves all of him, especially when he’s always so willing and warm under his touch. “So good for me, Eren, so perfect. You’re my good boy, aren’t you?” There’s a teasing edge creeping into his voice as he says that, his lips curving up into a satisfied smile as he notices Eren’s eyes darken at those words. 

“Maybe?” he says in what’s more of a question than a response.

“Yes, you are. My sweetheart, my good boy,” Levi mutters in a low voice as he rubs at the underside of Eren’s ass. “You want me to take care of you?”

Eren’s nearly melting into the sheets now, arching himself back into Levi’s touch. “Please,” he requests, and he really is such a good boy, asking for it so nicely, and of course Levi could never deny him when he’s being so very good.

“I love you, baby,” he sighs as he reaches around to stroke at Eren’s cock in shallow motions. “You’re my Eren, my good boy. Such a sweetheart.”

Eren’s squirming under him as he sets to work sucking tiny hickies on to the skin of his buttocks, leaving his marks all over that perfect ass. The noises he manages to wring out of Eren in the process are the most delicious ones he’s ever heard, each tiny whimper and moan only encouraging him to ravage Eren even more. It’s no wonder that he ends up with his face buried in the cleft of Eren’s ass, his hands deftly spreading his buttocks apart as he drags his tongue over his hole in wide, determined licks. 

It isn’t the first time he’s eaten Eren out and it certainly won’t be the last, yet on every occasion he’s always amazed by how sensitive and pliant Eren gets, to the point where the only thing he’ll be able to do is lay there and nearly sob with pleasure. It’s not nearly enough, and since Levi’s grasping on to him so firmly that he can’t even rub himself off against the sheets, he resorts to begging and pleading in such a beautifully wrecked voice that Levi could listen to him all day. He’s constantly twitching against Levi’s tongue, all of him asking for more, especially when Levi spreads him apart even wider and sinks the tip of his tongue inside. At that point he’s nearly howling, his voice hoarse and needy, making it sounds like he’s only seconds away from crying. 

“Such a pretty ass,” Levi states when he finally wills himself to pull away, brushing his thumb over where his tongue had been before. “You’re so close, aren’t you, baby?”   
  
“Yes, please, fuck,” Eren whines at the back of his throat, hands clutching at the pillow as he tries to press himself further into Levi’s touch. 

His other hand trails around over Eren’s hipbones, settling just over the base of his cock. “I can tell. Are you going to be good for me and do as I say?”

“Yes, anything,” he cries out, “Please, Levi.”

“I think you need to appreciate yourself more,” he points out, tracing his fingers from Eren’s hole to the curve of his ass. “Such a pretty ass. Can you say that for me?”

At that request, Eren lets out what sounds like a very garbled string of curse words, so Levi waits patiently. That’s nowhere near the answer he’d been looking for, which means that he’s going to keep his hands exactly where they are. In fact, he’s inching his hand upwards along Eren’s abdomen now, prompting a low whine from him. 

“You’re a good boy, you can do it,” he states without any hesitation as he presses a kiss into Eren’s back. “Go on, you know it’s true.” 

It sounds like Eren’s about to protest, but he cuts himself off with a groan when Levi ventures up to rub over his nipple. 

“Well?” Levi asks, probably sounding far too delighted than he should be. 

Eren takes a deep breath, his cheeks aflame and eyes tightly shut. “I have such a pretty,” he states, breaking off into a sob halfway through when Levi returns to stroking along his length. “I have a pretty ass!”

“See, I knew you were a good boy,” Levi sighs, his voice heavy with reverent approval as he lets Eren thrust himself into his hand. “Well done, baby. Such a good boy, such a sweet little darling.”

After having been with Eren so many times, he recognizes exactly when he reaches his peak, his whole body going rigid under Levi and his hips stuttering to a halt as he releases all over the sheets, his mouth falling open in a soundless moan. There’s a look of such pure overwhelming relief etched on his features as he rides out his orgasm, his hips moving in jerky little motions and tiny little moans pouring out from him. Watching him like this, lost in blinding pleasure, is only adding on to the situation going on in Levi’s pants, and he has to remind himself that they have all morning to appreciate one another.

Afterwards Eren’s like an actual puddle of goo, only moving to lazily drape himself over Levi and then settling there, not moving a single muscle. He’ll make this adorable yet heartbreaking little sound when Levi tries to nudge him off, so instead he indulges him, wrapping his arms around him. Somehow, completely by accident, his hands find their way to Eren’s ass, and he grasps on, pulling Eren even closer to him. 

He’s so focused on absentmindedly fondling Eren’s ass that he doesn’t even notice what Eren’s hands are up to until they slide down into his boxers. “We’re nowhere near done. It’s my turn now,” he insists in a lazy, indulgent voice, a thousand decadent promises on the tip of his tongue, and of course Levi leans in to devour each and every one of them.


	40. rustling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a sequel to chapter 23 (tile)

The daylight is waning fast by the time the two of them are finished with the day’s chores, seated together on the porch with a fresh pot of tea. Ever since discovering Levi’s fondness for tea, Eren had gone above and beyond in trying out every single combination of flavors. Their current brew of nettle and chamomile tea with a dash of honey has quickly become one of Levi’s favorites, its comforting warmth seeping into his skin as he cradles the cup in his hands.

The evening is a quiet, calm one, rustling leaves and the gentle melody of the wind chime being the only sounds he can hear. Somewhere out there, in the shadows hidden from plain sight, the forest never sleeps - even at night it’s awake, roots of trees pushing their way deeper into the soil, patches of sphagnum gently stretching themselves out to greet the night, not to mention countless wildflowers, sprouts and weeds, swaying against one another in the mild breeze. He cannot hear or see or otherwise sense any of this, but Eren has told him stories of the forest. Eren, who’s all but glowing under the faint light from the lantern hung above, so beautiful and so out of this world.

Of course Levi can’t resist closing the distance between them and kissing him, and when he does, Eren lets out an almost panicked squeak. His lips open up easily against Levi’s, a little clumsy yet eager as cranes his head for better access. Everything about Eren is divine, even his kisses, so it’s no wonder that Levi’s head is spinning by the time he pulls back.

Eren’s cheeks are flushed with the slightest shade of pink and his skin feels warm as he moves to lace their fingers together. “Levi,” he breathes out, his eyes alight with affection, so of course Levi kisses him again, tasting sweet honey off of his tongue. Being close to him and with him in this way is like losing yourself into the wild, wandering deep into the forest, barefoot and directionless yet without any fear - though vast and uncharted and full of secrets, the forest protects and provides for those who pay their respects, and damn, Levi could honestly devote the rest of his life to worshiping Eren in every possible way.

His free hand reaches to ghost over the tan skin revealed from under the loose neckline of Eren’s robe, and that’s when he feels Eren go completely still.

When he draws back, he sees a hint of panic in Eren’s eyes as the two of them stare at each other. He waits, the rustling of leaves and his own pulse pounding away in his ears the only sounds breaking the silence. After what feels like an eternity, Eren finally speaks up.

“I have no idea how to go on from here,” he says all in one breath. “I’ve, ah, never been with anyone in such a way.”

Levi can feel his heart clenching in his chest, and before he knows it he’s cradling Eren’s face in his hands and pressing chaste kisses all over his cheeks and forehead. “You’re doing perfectly fine so far,” he assures him, a teasing edge creeping into his voice as he goes on, “Could’ve fooled me, though. You’re an actual god, I would’ve imagined you having a personal harem or something.”

“I’m a god of the forest, not a god of, um, fornication,” Eren quips, his voice wavering a little at that last word.

“What do you want to do, sweetheart?” Levi asks, right to the point. It’s all he has to say, because Eren knows him, knows that he would never take from him that which he doesn’t willingly give. Just to make sure, he strokes his thumb over the back of Eren’s hand in soothing circles, a reverent reminder that this is already more than enough. That being by Eren’s side, sharing his existence with him and listening to the wind and the rustling of leaves together while time passes is a blessing in itself.

After drawing in a shaky breath, the flush on his cheeks only growing more prominent, Eren replies, “Um, maybe holding hands like this at first?” His fingers adjust their hold on Levi’s, squeezing a little tighter as if he’s worried Levi might slip away from him. “And, and maybe kissing a little more?”

It comes across as more of a question than an answer, and since Levi still can’t get over how ethereally gorgeous Eren looks when he’s gazing at him with such longing and hopeful forest green eyes, he merely reaches to hold Eren’s hand with both of his own hands. He skirts his fingertips over the sensitive skin of Eren’s wrists, touching him as gently as he can, each light caress seeking to remind Eren that he is loved, unconditionally, without any further expectations. Holding hands, kissing, whatever Eren wants, Levi will happily give it to him.

“Love you,” he whispers against the shell of Eren’s ear as he lets himself be pulled into his embrace.

“It’s getting more chilly in the evenings now,” Eren explains as he winds his free arm around Levi tightly, and though Levi can’t see his face from here, he just knows that he’s blushing even harder than before. “We should stay close to one another, you know, to conserve heat.”

“We definitely should,” Levi agrees with a quirk of his lips and buries himself deeper into the silky fabric of Eren’s robe. Regardless of how the wind howls and burrows its way in through the walls, it’s warm when he’s here with his love.


	41. cinnamon

He can barely feel his fingers by the time he makes it back to the cabin, so of course as soon as he’s hung up his clothes to dry he plops down right in front of the hearth to warm his hands by the burning embers. Eren fixes him with an amused look, maneuvering around him in order to add more spices to the pot he’s set up above the fire. Sniffing carefully, Levi can make out at least cinnamon and mint.

“Welcome back.” A soft kiss is pressed into his hair. “Did you find any dry firewood?”

“Left it by the door,” Levi replies, enjoying how the warmth creeps up from the tips of his fingers to his hands and up along his arms. Eren’s been busy, it seems - the kitchen’s full of life, the dishes from their dinner washing themselves in the sink without Eren even glancing their way, his full attention on the fragrant concoction that’s idly simmering by the hearth. “What are you making?”

“Something to warm up. I knew you’d be freezing, coming back from out there,” Eren states with a quirk of his lips. “Doesn’t look like the rain is letting up any time soon, so we better get comfy.”

Getting comfy with Eren sounds perfect to him, and the thought of holding him in his arms still gives Levi butterflies, even though they’ve been together for years now. “Nice,” he mumbles, staring intently at his fingers as he tries to stop the redness that’s probably tinging his neck and ears by now.

“It is very nice.” Eren sounds so incredibly smug, a sure sign that he’s all too aware of his charm. “Here, try it out and tell me if it’s missing anything.”

Levi watches him serve up a generous cup of the brew, steam rising up in delicate swirls from the liquid’s surface. It’s amber in color, little specks of brown and black settling at the bottom. Eren’s always been the type of witch to keep his craft raw and rustic, leaving in the stems and leaves and creating his brews over living fire whenever possible. It’s not often that they get a chance to be like this, just the two of them in a cabin in the middle of nature, and though the weather hasn’t been too kind to them so far, he can tell from the glimmering light in Eren’s eyes that moments like these are when his magic is at its most whole.

“I don’t know if it’s that good, I was kind of experimenting a little,” Eren rambles on as he hands him the cup, the plates in the sink clattering together nervously.

The cup is warm against Levi’s palms, and as he brings it up to his face, he’s enveloped by the familiar scent of cinnamon, along with a pinch of cardamom and something that almost resembles vanilla. It’s soft, comforting and gentle, just like its maker, and Levi doesn’t hesitate at all when he raises the cup to his mouth.

From the very first sip, his senses are flooded with warmth. It travels down his throat and makes its home in the pit of his stomach, bursting into full bloom when he looks up and sees the hopeful and expectant look on Eren’s face. The brew’s heavy on cinnamon, which is no wonder since that’s Eren’s favorite ingredient, but there are also traces of vibrant ginger and rich nutmeg, dozens of different flavors dancing across his tongue.

Eren’s trailed off now and the dishes in the sink have stilled, his gaze fixed on Levi. “Well, how is it?” he asks, wringing his hands together.

Levi ponders on that question for a while - seriously speaking, Eren’s magic continues to amaze him to this day. In fact, everything about Eren, from his stupidly bright smiles to his honest and open enthusiasm, makes Levi’s head spin on a daily basis, so he figures that his judgement is a little skewed. Still, though the drink has filled him with sparkling warmth, he could do with something more.  
  
“Needs some more sweetness,” he says with a meaningful look, tapping his lips and puckering up to drive the point home.

It takes a moment for the statement to sink in, it seems, but soon Eren’s rolling his eyes at him with a fond smile tugging at his features. Then he’s kissing Levi, his mouth soft yet demanding, teeth playfully nibbling at his bottom lip. “Better?” he asks after drawing back, still lingering close by as if to grant Levi with more of his loving warmth.

“Perfect,” Levi breathes out with a small smile, but just for good measure, decides to kiss him again.


	42. Chapter 42

He’d chosen regular old brownies as his first own dish, since Eren had assured him that they’re fairly easy to make. Though they’d agree that Eren would merely watch from the sidelines and offer advice when asked, Levi can feel his stare on him all the while as he’s measuring the ingredients. His hands shake a little when he cracks the eggs into the batter, but Eren’s quick to assure him that he can pick out the pieces of eggshell that have fallen in with a spoon. Honestly, he feels like such a mess, especially when compared to Eren’s confident and calm movements in the kitchen that he’s carefully studied, yet it seems that he’s learned absolutely nothing from it all.

“You’re doing great so far,” Eren tells him from where he’s seated by the kitchen counter, his voice warm and approving. “Make sure to add in lots of chocolate “

He does just that, thoroughly stirring in the melted chocolate. Of course Eren demands to taste the batter once it’s done, and after he’s deemed it satisfactory, Levi pours it into the pan and places it in the oven. He watches it carefully through the glass, waiting for it to explode or maybe catch fire, but, surprisingly enough, none of that happens. Instead the pan of brownies just sits there, cooking away slowly, which gives them plenty of time to tidy up the kitchen, and, at Eren’s insistence, make out against the counter for a while.

It takes only half an hour for the brownies to cook, but according to the recipe they need to cool for at least an hour or two. That’s an exaggeration, Levi decides and cuts into it only fifteen minutes after taking it out of the oven, even though Eren insists that it’s gonna fall apart. And it does, kind of, coming off in vaguely rectangular clumps rather than neat squares, but the taste is still deliciously rich and full, warm gooey chocolate filling his mouth as he bites into it.

“Give me some, too,” Eren says, leaning forward expectantly, before Levi even knows what he’s doing, he’s reaching out his hand to plop the rest of his brownie into Eren’s mouth.

Eren’s quick to open up, as if this is exactly what he’d been expecting, his mouth closing around Levi’s finger as he swallows down the brownie. His lips are warm and slightly chapped against Levi’s skin, a playful glint dancing in the green of his eyes when Levi meets his gaze. The inside of his mouth feels hot and inviting, but soon enough he’s drawing back, his teeth lightly scraping over Levi’s knuckle.

“That is really good,” he states resolutely. There’s still a tiny smudge of chocolate clinging on to Levi’s thumb and Eren licks it off without second thought. “Well done.”

His touch still lingers by Eren’s lips for some unexplainable reason, and as he strokes his fingers further along his jaw and then down along his neck, Eren all but purrs and leans further to meet the caress. “Not overly sweet?” he asks, prompting Eren to give him a scandalized look.

“There’s no such thing as too much sweetness,” he replies solemnly, and as Levi leans in to kiss him, he can’t help but to agree.

Their lives have become entwined to such a point now that he can barely even remember how his days had passed without Eren’s company. While Levi creates his own schedule, sometimes painting until midnight, Eren has classes to attend and shifts to cover. How he manages it all is a mystery to Levi - he himself had flunked out of college halfway through, yet Eren’s also working while going to school and has remained mostly sane so far. That’s definitely something he has to applaud.

Levi’s always been a light sleeper, so on those mornings when Eren’s alarm starts blaring at six am, he also wakes up. Eren, on the other hand, tends to slam the snooze button and fall right back asleep, dragging himself out of bed only after Levi’s turned on the lights and yanked off all the covers. It’s nearly impossible to deny Eren anything when he’s all sleepy-eyed with an adorable bedhead and a pout on his face, but most of the time Levi manages to limit himself to only a couple of kisses before shooing Eren to the shower.

Since it takes Eren at least an hour or so until he’s fully awake and alert, Levi’s usually the one to make breakfast. It’s kind of fun now that he sort of knows what he’s doing, cooking up fluffy pancakes and crispy bacon. Granted, they still end up a little charred, especially when Eren decides to wander into the kitchen with only a towel wrapped around his waist that looks like it might slip off at any moment.

“My sweetheart,” he whispers into Levi’s ear, winding his arms around him as he presses up against his back. “I love you.”

He’s almost naked, Levi realizes just then, a flush creeping up along his neck. “Go get dressed,” he chokes out. “You’re dripping water all over me.” He really is, wet strands of hair tickling Levi’s shoulder as Eren trails kisses over his jaw.

“Miss you already,” he mumbles before drawing back and shuffling back into the bathroom, and Levi finds himself maybe a little too preoccupied with the lines of Eren’s back and the particularly the one peeking out from where the towel’s covering his ass.

He decides to eat the most over cooked strips of bacon himself, sitting by the kitchen counter with his legs crossed as he tries to think of less arousing things. It would be more than lovely to start off the day like that, but Eren has to be in class at eight am, and goodness knows he’s already been late far too many times during this semester. A hearty breakfast and maybe some more kisses will have to do.

Eren joins him soon enough, now fully dressed but still looking like he’d rather go back to sleep than drag himself to class. Though Levi pushes the plate of pancakes and bowl of fresh strawberries towards him, all he does is yawn and blink at him, much like an owl that’s been shooed away from the safety of its nest. What a dumbass, Levi thinks, yet inexplicably feels his heart swell at the sight.

“Anybody there?” he asks with a wave of his hand, and Eren only yawns wider in response. “Eat your breakfast, I worked hard on that, you know.”

Only mumbling something in response, Eren finally digs into his pancakes, his movements slow and sluggish. Neither of them really care for coffee that much, Levi favoring tea and Eren hot chocolate, but this is definitely a situation that calls for some caffeine. Of course, Levi’s fancy kitchen has a coffee maker, and though he’s only used it a handful of times, soon he’s succeeded in brewing up some strong coffee. Its scent is tantalizing, and though he’d intended it for Eren, he can’t resist taking a tiny little sip.

Besides, it’s not like Eren will care anyway - as Levi turns around to hand him the mug, he finds Eren literally dozing off by his breakfast, his head leaning against his hand and the fork laying forgotten on the plate. It looks like he’d only managed a couple of bites before settling in for a nap. As Levi continues to stare at him, he lets out a tiny snore, his closed lids fluttering a little but not fully opening.

Levi sets the mug down on the counter and reaches to lightly tap at Eren’s nose. “No sleeping,” he says sternly, and that’s what seems to jostle Eren back to reality. “Eat.”

“But I’m tired,” Eren nearly whines. “College is dumb.”

“It is,” Levi agrees as he sits down again, resuming his own breakfast. “You want bacon instead?”

Eren gives a nod, and though Levi’s not sure if he even knows what he’s being asked, he plucks up a piece of bacon with his fork and brings it up to Eren’s mouth. It takes a moment or two, but soon Eren opens his mouth obligingly and lets Levi feed him, quickly scarfing down the bacon. “Have some pancakes,” he offers after swallowing, and though Levi’s raising a brow at him, he does end up tasting some of the pancakes. He’s not really one for sweet things, he’ll gladly leave those for Eren, but he has to admit that the pancakes had turned out pretty good.

Eren watches him lazily all the while, and just as Levi’s set his utensils down, opens his mouth. After Levi only gives him a blank stare, he taps at his lips expectantly and glances down at the half-finished pancakes. That’s when it finally clicks.

“You are so fucking spoilt,” Levi complains while sighing loudly, but still cuts up a small piece and offers it to Eren. He seems all too satisfied as he closes his lips around the fork and swallows it down, glancing at Levi from underneath his lashes like he can't get enough, and it’s honestly not helping at all that somehow he makes eating breakfast look far more seductive than it ever should be. It’s just breakfast, but the alluring curve of Eren’s lips and the playful glint dancing in his eyes make Levi feel like indulging in other pleasures than just good food.

“‘M not spoilt, just sleepy,” Eren mumbles through his mouthful of pancake. “And it tastes better this way, too.”

Levi gives in, as he always does, and soon enough he’s abandoned the fork in favor of his hands, tearing apart bite-sized chunks and holding each of them up to Eren’s mouth for him to devour. Every now and then he’ll have to prod Eren a little since he still keeps dozing off, which really is quite a remarkable accomplishment. He brushes his hand gently along Eren’s jaw, coming to grab him by his chin and fixing him with the most stern glare he can muster up.

“Drink your coffee,” he orders, and Eren complies without any hesitation. “Good boy.”

It slips out before he even knows it, and Eren’s hand shakes only a little as he brings the mug of steaming hot coffee up to his lips.

Somehow the rest of their breakfast passes more quickly, even though Eren insists on eating the strawberries the same way as the pancakes. Upon biting down on a particularly ripe one he even goes as far as licking up the juice that runs down along Levi’s fingers and all the way to the inside of his wrist. It tickles, and that’s why Levi’s squirming around so much, not at all due to the fact that the sight of Eren lazily licking at his fingers is kind of sensual, especially when his eyes flutter closed for a moment or two as he savors the sweet stickiness.

As it happens, Eren leaves for class just in time, lingering for a while to press a gentle kiss on Levi’s forehead. “Love you,” he says, his voice laced with fondness, and then he’s out the door already. Levi stares at the space he’d occupied just seconds ago, feeling his heart clench in his chest, and for fuck’s sake, Eren’s barely even left the building yet Levi’s already pining after him.

Even something as mundane as sharing breakfast together feels like a blessing. During those precious moments he has Eren all to himself, and as greedy as it probably sounds, he craves to have Eren’s undivided attention on him and only him. It’s intoxicating, feeling those lovely green eyes fixed on him and being graced with the brightest and most charming smiles. Eren’s so innocent and wholesome, too, such a sweetheart who probably has no idea just how smitten Levi is with him.

Well, maybe he has some idea. Eren has the tendency to touch him more than what’s strictly necessary, not to mention all the long, smouldering glances and teasing smirks whenever he catches Levi staring a little too much. In Levi’s defense, he’s an artist, and Eren just happens to have a very interesting bone structure and lively expressions, along with a soft and earthy palette, from his forest green eyes and his tan skin to the cozy sweaters in muted browns and grays that he loves to wear. When he lays his eyes on Eren, he’s struck with the urge to create, to produce something beautiful and profound, and though he’s never been that interested in antiquity, the way he looks at Eren probably isn’t too far from how an ancient Greek artist would look at his muse.

Eren works incredibly hard in his studies, so of course Levi makes sure to reward him for his efforts. It’s not like he could keep his hands off of Eren, anyway, but on occasions where Eren’s been a remarkably good boy, Levi goes out of his way to appreciate him for it.

He’s so beautifully flushed, unraveling under Levi’s touch and whimpering more and more with every sweet compliment and soft kiss pressed into his skin. It’s the best when they're just rubbing up against one another, because it gives Levi the perfect view of his gorgeous face and the look of shameless, indulgent pleasure etched on his face. He really is such a good boy, always giving it his best, and even as he’s right on the edge, his thighs shaking with the effort of holding himself back, he looks at Levi with eyes pleading for his permission, his approval, for him to decide whether or not he’s been good enough to deserve release.

Of course Levi gives it to him, wrapping his fingers around Eren’s cock as he whispers dirty little compliments in his ear, _such a good boy, Eren, so hard and lovely for me_ , savoring each little moan that falls from Eren’s lips. Just like that, he’s coming all over his stomach, tears welling up at the corners of his eyes as he calls out Levi’s name in a desperate voice. That’s enough to make Levi lose himself, too, his breath catching in his throat as he comes and his mind clouded with thoughts of Eren.

Afterwards they just lay together for a while, and Eren lets out a disappointed whine and grabs on to Levi’s wrist when Levi finally draws back.

“We should clean up,” he points out. They really should - both of their stomachs and Levi’s hand are covered in come, so he can’t help but to add in a faintly teasing tone, “You must have been pretty excited since you came so much.”

“Don’t go,” Eren mumbles, hiding his reddening face in the pillow yet only grasping on to Levi tighter. “I’ll be lonely.”

Levi takes a very long breath before climbing back in, and just as he’s about to wipe his hand on to the sheets, Eren has his index finger in his mouth, his tongue swirling over it in thorough motions.

For a few moments, all he can do is stare, which gives Eren ample time to move on to the next finger, eagerly lapping up what’s probably both of their come in tiny yet determined licks. “What are you doing?” he finally manages to ask, his voice more than a little shaky.

“Don’t judge me,” Eren quips with an almost vulnerable look on his features as he nestles closer to Levi. “It’s nice.” With that, he goes back to eating the rest of it from Levi’s fingers, seeming determined to fully enjoy every single drop.

On one hand, Levi still kind of wants to get a washcloth or even take a shower, but on the other, there are parts of him that are suddenly all too interested in this turn of events.

After Eren’s finished, Levi barely hesitates as he scoops up some of the come from his stomach and holds his fingers up to Eren’s mouth again. “Open up,” he commands and watches the green of Eren’s eyes darken.

He does just as told, of course, his lips eagerly wrapping around Levi’s finger. “Good boy,” Levi murmurs with an approving smile as he moves again, this time to straddle Eren instead of going off to get cleaned. Eren’s been a very, _very_ good boy, after all, and good boys deserve a treat or two.


	43. chocolate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a sequel to chapter 25 (meringue)

It’s been snowing all morning, and when Eren walks in a little after noon, there are a few snowflakes clinging on to his wispy brown hair and the luxuriously thick scarf wrapped around his neck, and paired with the slight redness from the cold tinging his cheeks, all Levi can do is stare. 

“Sorry I’m a little late,” Eren breathes out in an apologetic voice as soon as he reaches the register. “The traffic was a nightmare.”

“Oh, that’s fine,” Petra says after Levi fails at getting out a single word. “Right, Levi?” She nudges him forcefully with her elbow, which finally jolts Levi out of his daze.

“Hi,” he says, his throat suddenly too dry for any more words as his eyes meet Eren’s, fingers twiddling with the hem of his apron.

“Hello,” Eren replies with an almost shy smile that looks so wonderfully warm and intimate, and just like that, Levi can feel all his carefully gathered composure slipping. 

Petra shoos him away from behind the register since his shift had ended five minutes ago already, so he heads to the back to gather his things. As soon as the door to the kitchen has closed behind him he lets out a long, shaky breath, his pulse pounding in his ears and the vivid green of Eren’s eyes burned into his memory. 

For fuck’s sake, they’ve been going out for a good few months already, yet Levi still feels like a teenager on his first real date. They’ve settled into a comfortable routine by now, which involves Eren coming by to have coffee with him at least once a week after he’s done with work. It’s really nice somehow, having Eren’s full and undivided attention on him for a few moments, but on the other hand, every time Levi locks eyes with him or hears the sound of his flowing laugh or watches him lick a smudge of chocolate off his thumb he feels like he’s going to melt into a puddle.

Levi stands there for a long time, having already removed his apron and hoisted his bag on his shoulder, staring at the door and listening to the faint sounds of dishes clattering together and Petra and Eren talking with each other. It’s okay, he’s got his, he assures himself. It’s just Eren, beautiful, kind Eren who’s been nothing but patient and understanding all this time, putting up with Levi’s quirks without any complaints. He can do this. 

The moment he steps back into the cafe, he’s once again greeted by a bright smile and those pretty green eyes looking right at him, and all the composure he’d tried to build up crumbles to pieces. 

“What are you having?” Eren asks as Levi joins him on the other side of the counter. Before he’s even noticed, Eren has laced their fingers together, lightly grasping on to Levi’s hand like it’s no big deal. “The chocolate cake looks really good.” 

Levi’s brain is so blissfully empty, only registering the warmth and pressure of Eren’s hand in his. “Uh,” he says eloquently, panic rising to the surface when he realizes that Eren’s asked him a question that involves thinking and choosing things, both of them skills which he’d completely forgotten the moment Eren had walked in. “You can pick for both of us, I’m good with anything.” 

Eren gives him that one particular look, the one saying that everything’s going to be okay and the nerves will pass, as much as Levi struggles to believe him. “Alright, I’ll surprise you, then.” Without an ounce of hesitation, he brings their joined hands up and brushes a light kiss over Levi’s knuckles. “Why don’t you go ahead and sit down already? You’ve been on your feet and working hard all day.”

That’s one of the many things he loves about Eren, he muses as he goes to sit at one of the booths by the window - he reads Levi like an open book, not deterred in the slightest by his stuttered responses and drawn-out pauses. Eren listens and waits, encourages him when he can’t get the words out and, above all, loves him regardless of everything. Just in case Levi forgets that last thing, he’ll gladly remind him, sometimes several times a day, texting him cute little love notes or calling him on his lunch break, or, like today, announcing that he’ll drop by for coffee and some sweets. 

As usual, Eren seems to have gone a little overboard, placing down a tray with a piece of chocolate cake and a piece of raspberry cheesecake, along with a couple of macaroons and meringues. There’s also his usual drink, a double chocolate cappuccino, and a large mug of tea for Levi. He looks so excited and proud of himself as he sits down next to Levi - next to him, not opposite him like a normal person would - and thrusts the plate of cheesecake at him. 

“Everything looked so good, I couldn’t resist,” he explains as Levi raises a brow at him. 

“You could single-handedly keep us in business with how much you buy from us,” Levi points out with a playful edge in his voice, surprised at how normal he sounds. 

Eren glances towards the register where Petra’s wiping down the counter. “She refused to take my money, but I stuck a twenty dollar bill in the tip jar when she wasn’t looking,” he replies in a low voice, eyes twinkling as he raises a finger to his lips. “Go ahead and help yourself.”

Though Levi’s not as fond of sweets as Eren, he does have to admit that it’s nice to sit down with a mug of hot tea cradled in his hands and the taste of raspberries and chocolate lingering on his tongue. When he’s in the kitchen, his thoughts are on numbers, making sure that he’s mixed in the exact amount of sugar needed and that the melted chocolate is at the perfect temperature. He does taste all their products frequently to ensure their high quality, but sampling the cake in the kitchen as he’s hurrying to get it plated is so different from having Eren feed it to him as they’re sitting down together, one arm lazily draped over the back of the seat while his other hand raises the fork up to Levi’s lips, his gaze warm and amused and brimming with pure adoration. 

Maybe there’s a few times when Levi nearly chokes on his tea, but that’s entirely Eren’s fault since he decides to compliment Levi’s baking so profusely just as he’s taken a sip. Aside from that, Levi thinks he’s being pretty smooth, even if his head is still buzzing with nerves. It’s more of a pleasant sensation this time, especially when Eren starts idly playing with his hair at one point. 

As it happens, Eren’s a bit of a messy eater, so when at one point there’s a very persistent smudge of whipped cream clinging on to his upper lip, Levi sees his chance to sweep in. 

“You have a little something,” he drawls, shifting closer with his heart beating a mile a minute, “right here.” They’re so close, his lips ghosting right over Eren’s, and though they’ve shared an endless amount of kisses, Levi’s just as nervous as before, his head spinning and his nose itching violently like something’s trying to crawl its way out of there. 

_ Wait, something’s off here, _ he thinks, but before he even knows what’s happening he’s already sneezing in Eren’s face.

Silence follows, during which Levi’s completely frozen, hand raised up to his mouth and his cheeks burning up once he realizes what’s just happened. As much as he hates it, he can feel tears of embarrassment prickling at the corners of his eyes that he desperately blinks away, his stomach heavy with dread. Damn it, now he’s ruined the mood, like he always does, and surely even Eren’s patience has its limits. 

“Bless you, dear,” Eren says and hands him a napkin. “You have such a cute sneeze, has anyone ever told you that? Sounds like a kitten or something.” His voice is light and affectionate, as if Levi hadn’t just flung a slew of bacteria at his face.

“Sorry,” Levi mumbles, his hands shaking as he discreetly dabs at the moisture in his eyes and blows his nose in the napkin. Honestly, if Eren wasn’t blocking his way he would’ve darted out by now, but it looks like he isn’t going anywhere, especially when Eren reaches to grab his hand as he moves on to fidget with his mug. 

“Hey, it’s fine,” Eren tells him with a small smile, his fingers stroking over the inside of Levi’s wrist in comforting little motions. “You’re just fine, darling. I hope you’re not coming down with anything, though. Are you cold?”

“No, I’m okay,” he tries to assure both Eren and himself as he breathes in deeply, concentrating on how soft and careful Eren’s touch feels on his skin. Fuck, he’s so damn awkward while Eren’s all charming smiles and gentle, reaffirming words, even now his whole being exuding a sense of steady calmness and warmth. It does help in easing Levi’s anxiety a little, though he is still considering sliding under the table and hiding there for the rest of their date. 

“Oh, I just had an idea,” Eren calls out, his eyes lighting up as he shuffles around with his jacket, and for a few terrifying moments Levi thinks he might get up and leave. “We can share.”

Instead of shrugging his clothes on and heading out the door, Eren pulls out his scarf, and, shifting closer to Levi, moves to wrap it around both of their necks. The fabric is soft and slightly worn as Levi reaches up to touch it, the faint scent of Eren’s cologne clinging on to it. Though it is a fairly long scarf, it’s more than a little snug when shared by two people, which, judging from the coy smile rising to Eren’s face, is exactly how he’d wanted it. They’re so close that Levi’s nearly sitting in his lap, and, as he glances up to meet Eren’s eyes, it finally goes quiet in his head. 

“Maybe I should check your temperature, too,” Eren muses, and soon he’s lifting up Levi’s chin and kissing him, just a light press of his lips that still makes Levi dizzy. 

After they've broken apart, still only mere inches away from each other, Levi blurts out the first thing that comes to mind. “Temperature is measured from the armpit.”

There’s silent laughter dancing in Eren’s expression as he replies, “Ooh, kinky.” He nudges at Levi's cheek affectionately. “Maybe we’ll try that during the weekend, but for now I guess this will have to do.” Planting one last kiss on the tip of Levi’s nose, he draws back a little, picking up his cappuccino again after adjusting the scarf that’s looped around their necks. “Better?” 

It’s not just the scarf he’s asking about, Levi realizes, and though his stomach is still fluttering restlessly, at least his voice doesn’t waver as he responds, “Yeah. Thank you.”

“That’s my sweetheart,” Eren chirps and graces him with one of those lovely bright smiles that make Levi swoon every single time. “Now, you better help me finish this cake, because I’m kind of in the mood to try out the meringues.”

Eren feeds the rest of the cake to him in tiny little bites, pausing every now and then to run his free hand through Levi’s hair and scratch at his undercut in a way that very nearly makes him purr. “See, I told you,” Eren says, looking as smug as ever, “like a kitten. Can I call you my kitten from now on?”

Flushing a deep shade of red, Levi ducks his head and hides in the crook of Eren’s neck where it’s warm and cozy and safe, but, most importantly, doesn’t say no. 


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based on [this lovely fanart](http://aurieackerman.tumblr.com/post/153216463387/photographer-eren-and-nude-model-levi-artist)

“Move your hand a little,” Eren tells him, and Levi scowls. 

“No.” His hand stays exactly where it is, leaving him with at least a little modesty. “I thought you were an artist, not a pornographer.”

“But your arm keeps getting into the shot,” Eren complains as he adjusts the settings on his camera. “It’s disrupting the composition of the photo.” 

“You just want to take dick pics of me, admit it,” Levi drawls, amused delight bubbling up in the pit of his stomach as his boyfriend flushes and hides behind his camera again. 

“It’s art!” he rushes to exclaim, rambling on about lighting and composition and contrast, all of which goes completely over Levi’s head. He doesn’t know shit about photography or about modelling, but Eren had assured him that it was fine.  

(“It’s okay, just do what I tell you and we’ll be all good,” he’d said while he’d still been setting up their living room for the impromptu photo shoot, and in all honesty, the thought of Eren being the one in charge and bossing him around is somehow very appealing, even if it’s not in the exact context Levi might have preferred.)

The photos are just for Eren’s portfolio, so it’s not like the whole world will be ogling at Levi’s naked body. Even so, he can’t help but to fidget a little under Eren’s intense gaze. They’ve seen each other undressed countless times, but this is different. Eren’s hovering over him fully clothed while he’s left bare and vulnerable, all of him on display, and it’s not helping at all that Eren’s looking at him like a damn gourmet meal. 

Levi turns his head away, pressing his face against the cushions surrounding him. He hears Eren chuckle from somewhere above him. 

“Could you turn over for me?” he asks, and Levi is glad to comply. If he’s laying on his stomach at least he’ll be less aware of Eren’s eyes on him. That’s what he thinks, at least, but as soon as he’s changed positions, Eren’s hand is on him, gently stroking along his back. 

“So stunning,” he mutters in a reverent voice, his fingers leaving Levi’s skin just as they’re about to caress over the cleft of his ass. “Stay just like that, please.”

Then he’s snapping away again, and with each click of the shutter Levi feels some of his tension ease. It’s just him and Eren, his lovely and kind Eren who would never do anything to make him feel uncomfortable or insecure. In fact, even now he keeps whispering idle little compliments to Levi, admiring the arch of his spine and the inviting roundness of his ass. 

“Can you lean over to the side?” he asks, and after Levi’s done just that, adds, “Good boy. You’re a natural at this, so graceful and obedient.” The words are spoken in a light and playful tone yet upon hearing them Levi’s still fighting the urge to grind his hips down against the sofa.

It gets even worse because soon Eren’s flopping down next to him, his gaze alight with a sort of fond intimacy that makes something in Levi’s chest clench up. “No face shots,” he insists when Eren maneuvers him to turn a little and aims the camera at him - that had been his one and only condition before agreeing to this. 

“I know. Tilt your head back,” Eren says, and after Levi’s done that, he lays a careful hand over the hollow of his throat, his fingers splayed out as far as they’ll go. For a short exhilarating moment he thinks Eren might choke him, and for fuck’s sake, why is that thought making him so hot and bothered?

He crosses his legs as tightly as he can and hears Eren breathe out a gentle laugh.

“See, I told you it wouldn’t be so bad modelling for me,” he says, and he’s right, damn him. After getting a couple of shots of his hand on Levi’s neck, his touch wanders lower along the lines of his collarbones. “Oh, wait, the light is perfect here, you’re perfect. Stay still for a little longer.”

He does, even though he’s itching to reach out and touch Eren and shed him of his clothes, too. Instead he waits while Eren takes picture after picture, occasionally advising him to turn or stretch his neck the other way. All the while Levi’s extremely aware of Eren’s eyes on him. His attention is solely on Levi, and Levi lets himself drown in it, lets each hushed praise wash over him and indulges in the fact that, at least for now, he’s the center of Eren’s world.

“You know what would also look really good on you?” Eren wonders out loud. “Body paint.”

Levi snaps his head back down to glare at him. “No body paint. It would mess up the whole apartment.”

For a few moments Eren seems dejected, but soon enough he looks like there are numerous other ideas brewing in his head. “How about lace?” he asks.

“That’s,” Levi starts off, pausing to think for a while, an inexplicable blush rising to his face, “acceptable.”

Eren beams at him like the damn sun, all but blinding Levi with his gentle smile. “Great! I’ve been wanting to shoot in low light so how about some candles for the next time, too?”

“Sounds more like a romantic evening than a photoshoot to me,” Levi quips, his head spinning pleasantly at the thought of there being a next time. “Just how many naked pictures do you need for your portfolio, anyway?”

“As many as I can get,” Eren nearly purrs, finally setting the camera down as he wraps his arms loosely around Levi, purposefully sliding his thigh in between Levi’s leg. “Do you know how difficult it is to resist you, though? You’re so enticing that I could just eat you up.”

  
“Go ahead, then,” Levi murmurs and pulls him in for a kiss, Eren’s lips deliciously soft against his. That talented tongue sweeps over Levi’s bottom lip in a demanding manner, and Levi gives in, as he always does when it comes to Eren, thoughts of lace and candlelight and more of this sweet intimacy already settling in at the back of his head. 


	45. snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a sequel to chapter 28 (cushion)

Winter arrives earlier than usual that year, powder-light snow and gusts of chilly wind enveloping the land in its cold embrace. It’s the second winter Eren’s ever seen, but he’s still just as amazed as before, his eyes wide as plates as he stares out the window at the thick coat of snow resting over the ground. It’s accumulated nearly overnight, covering the yard of the castle and beyond in a shroud of pure blinding white.

“It looks like sugar,” Eren states, and despite of whatever Levi says, he still scoops some up from the windowsill to try and taste it.

It’s been over a year now, and the one thing Eren has definitely learned well during his time in Trost is the importance of dressing in layers. Before heading outside he’ll bundle himself up in a tunic and a woollen sweater, along with a scarf and mittens before shrugging on his thick winter coat and pulling the fur-lined hood over his head. He claims that holding hands helps keep the cold away, too, so whenever the two of them are heading out, whether for official business or just to drop by for a drink at the pub, he’ll be holding on to Levi’s hand, fingers clasped tightly around his. It is pretty warm, Levi has to admit. Warm and cozy and familiar, walking down the cobblestone streets with Eren and listening to the soothing flow of his voice.

Much has changed - for one, Eren had convinced him that being a ruler of such a small kingdom, Levi would do well to show up in the village just for the sake of it instead of staying cooped up in the castle among his court. People are what make the land what it is, he’d exclaimed, his eyes burning with such an intensity that Levi had instantly fallen in love with him all over again, regular people going about their everyday lives, earning a living, producing goods, and raising their families. Regular people are the ones the two of them, as the king and prince of Trost, should spend their time with.

This had led them to the pub, which, according to Eren, was the centre of Trostian life. That’s where people come to relax after a long day and where a worker and his employer can sit down as equals over a pint of ale. Not to mention that Eren’s developed a genuine appreciation for Trost’s food culture, his favorites being the mince pies with a generous golden crust and freshly baked bread with nuts and almonds buried into the dough, cut into thick slices and topped off with butter and cheese.

Though a little suspicious at first, the patrons are used to seeing the two of them by now, and to Levi’s amusement, Eren’s always swarmed by little girls and boys begging him to tell them stories of his homeland - he happily obliges, of course, and the rosy-cheeked woman behind the bar refills his large mug of tea over and over again before he even has to ask. Many of his stories are more than a little exaggerated, but Levi doesn’t have the heart to swoop in and reveal that Shiganshina doesn’t have any dragons, and certainly not golden ones with rubies and emeralds in place of fangs. Eren’s eyes are all but sparkling with mischievous laughter when he meets Levi’s gaze from across the room, discreetly raising a finger to his lips in a silent plea to let him have his fun.

As for Levi, he sits with the women of the village, listening to their concerns. As they’re located by the sea, most men - along with a couple of adventurous younger women - are out on the sea, bringing back barrels full of fish along with trading with their neighboring settlements. For as long as any of them can remember, women have been the ones keeping the village running, arranging schooling and caring for the ill. It makes sense that they’re the ones who know most about the issues of their land instead of Levi’s numerous advisors who have lived most of their lives in luxury. Even so, it’s not just all serious talk every time - tonight, for example, Mina and her wife have just celebrated their 50th anniversary, and in honor of such an event, brought in an assortment of expensive cigars to share with their friends. After admiring them at the table for a while, their whole group moves outside for to try them out, coats draped over their shoulders as they huddle together in front of the pub.

“To many more joyful years,” Mina says as she lights her wife’s cigar for her, and despite her gray hair and wrinkles, she somehow looks decades younger in the weak light of the flame as she smiles at her beloved.

Levi’s not much of a smoker, but he tries his best, anyway, nearly coughing his lungs out at the first drag. The women, all of them well in their sixties, giggle and tell him that he still has plenty of time to learn. He doesn’t know if that’ll ever happen, but even so, it’s nice to just stand there and listen to Mina reminiscing about the good old times.

A group of children tumble out from the pub, and, not surprisingly, they’re followed by a slightly reluctant Eren. He’s protesting and saying something about not even having his mittens on, but one of the girls grabs on to his hand and pleads with him in a persuasive voice, and just like that, he’s being whisked off in the direction of the shed perched near the side of the pub. He gives Levi a tiny smile as he passes. “Give me two minutes,” he mouths and brushes the fingers of his free hand on Levi’s sleeve, and then he’s off again.

“Little Anya found an injured sparrow she’s nursing back to health, but her father doesn’t want to let it inside to mess up the pub,” Mina’s wife explains with a chuckle. Anya, the pubkeeper’s daughter, is nearly bouncing in place as she urges Eren to step into the shed. “That girl really is a sweetheart. Can’t say the same for her old man. Just the other day that geezer poured me an ale that was all foam just because I told him he should sweep from under the tables more often.”

Sweeping is a topic Levi’s been told he’s abnormally passionate about, and soon enough he finds himself in a discussion about whether to use a broom or a wet cloth to clean the floor. Mina has a bad back so she’s vehemently against scrubbing the floor on all fours, but when Levi reveals that he tends to fasten a wet cloth to the end of a long stick to clean the floor of his bedchambers, fully standing all the while, her jaw drops and the cigar she’s smoking nearly slips out from her mouth. It’s the beginning of a very intense conversation, though Levi does notices from the corner of his eye that Eren and little Anya and a couple of younger boys have moved from fawning over the sparrow to marveling at the snow that has begun to fall.

It happens far too quickly for Levi to comprehend what’s going on - one moment he’s telling Mina how to wring out the excess water from a washcloth without straining your wrists, and the second he hears one of the women yell out a word that definitely should not be uttered within earshot from young children.

Then, before he can react, something very hard and cold and wet collides with the back of his head, making him jerk forward.

It all goes completely silent, Mina and the rest of the women staring at something behind him with identically scandalized looks of their faces. Levi straightens himself out, more than a little dazed. Chunks of snow fall down under the neck of his jacket and a few even under his shirt as Levi tries to shake it off, slowly turning around to face his attacker.

Eren already has an another snowball in his hand, those tempting lips curved upwards in a pleased smile. “Got you!” he calls out with a laugh, adding on something so indecent and downright vulgar that Levi flushes bright red like a damn virgin, Mina lets out a low whistle, and little Anya and her friends are suddenly overcome with the urge to ask their parents some very difficult questions about the facts of life.

“Your boy has quite a mouth on him,” Mina’s wife cackles. “How regal.”

“Now, now, sweetheart,” Levi says calmly, still shrugging off the snow from underneath his collar with his eyes fixed on Eren. Without even fully realizing it, his hand is reaching out towards the snow piled on top of the abandoned flower boxes. “Be nice, will you?”

There’s a playful, challenging glint in Eren’s eyes. “Or what? Are you going to-” His sentence is cut short by Levi’s snowball hitting him right at the bottom half of his face, and he lets out a high-pitched shriek as the snow burrows its way under his clothes.

“I’ve spent my entire childhood flinging this stuff around,” Levi states triumphantly, already scooping up more snow. “Still wanna try your luck, pretty boy?”

The old nickname from their courting days makes Eren raise a brow at him, amusement etched on his features, along with a trace of something almost predatory in his stare. “Oh, you’re gonna get it now,” he nearly purrs, and in a fraction of a second, he’s tackling Levi  on to the banks of snow.

There they are, the two rules of Trost, and not to mention two grown men, wrestling in the snow like a couple of children. Rationally, Levi realizes all this, but the more primal side of him wants to pin Eren down and make him surrender. It’s freezing cold, snow billowing up in his face and Eren’s breathless laughter echoing in his ears, and honestly, he can’t even remember the last time he played in the snow like this. Must have been during those childhood days he’d bragged about.

(“Ah, to be young again,” Mina sighs and throws her burnt-out cigar into the bin, letting the children run back inside first before following behind.

“I don’t know, growing old does come with its benefits,” her wife states with a wink and a tap at her dentures. “Hey, Anyushka, tell your slob of a father to pour us some proper ales this time, okay? We’ll have to find a new regular pub if he keeps being so stingy.”

“This is the only pub within several hundred miles, though,” Mina points out before the door swings closed behind her, and after that it’s just the two of them laying in the snow under darkened skies.)

Even though he’s hopelessly losing the battle, Eren’s still laughing, his cheeks red with snow caught on to his hair. “I give up, I give up!” he pleads through bouts of giggles after being pinned down one too many times.

Levi smirks from where he’s hovering over him with a handful of snow, thighs braced on either side of his hips. “Told you so. I’ve trained for years.”

Eren responds by pulling him down for a kiss, still laughing against his mouth, and fuck, seeing Eren happy gives Levi such a dizzying thrill that he’s sure he’d lay down his life for his darling.

“Cold,” Eren states with a shiver as they part. It’s no wonder since he’s only wearing a jacket, scarf and mittens forgotten inside, and covered in snow. “You better warm me up when we get home.” He’s the very definition of seduction as those words spill from his mouth, gazing at Levi from under his lashes and biting down on his plump bottom lip, splayed out in the snow and at Levi’s mercy.

“Of course, my love,” he says, his voice is a little hoarse. Without really thinking about it, he reaches for Eren’s hand and brings it up his lips, pressing a light kiss against the thin silver wedding band on his finger. “Anything for you.”

Eren lets out a tiny gasp, but squeezes his fingers back soon enough. “Also, I wanna get a mince pie to take home. For an evening snack,” he demands, as if they don’t have a whole team of cooks back at the castle ready to conjure up whatever he wants.

“I’ll get you _two_ mince pies, then,” Levi replies as solemnly as he can, and Eren’s laughing again, brilliant and beautiful and beaming like the sun, even in the dead of winter.


	46. Chapter 46

“There we go. Are you comfortable?”

Underneath him, Levi flexes his arms and tugs at his bounds. “Yeah. They’re pretty tight.”

Eren’s lips draw up in a lazy smile as he leans back, pausing for a while to admire the view. He has Levi tied to the firm wooden bedposts, the rope digging into the skin of his wrists. At first Eren had suggested silk scarves or something more gentle, but Levi had scoffed and told him to get plain old rope instead.

(“That’s part of the fun, though,” he’d replied in a low voice when Eren had worried about rope burns and marks, and the words had gone right to Eren’s groin.)

“Not painful or anything?” he asks again now, just to be sure, because while Levi does look so damn good like this, tied up and vulnerable and fully at Eren’s mercy, the last thing he wants to do is hurt his darling.

Levi watches him carefully, tongue darting out to lick at his lips before answering, “No. Not yet.”

He really is gorgeous like this, already lightly flushed from anticipation with his gaze following Eren’s every move. His pale skin glows an ethereal shade in the candlelight, the firm muscles of his arms accentuated in such an exquisite way as he twists and turns in a half-hearted attempt to free himself. To have all of this strength and power and beauty all to himself, to tame and tie down someone who’s so insistent on being in control, to have someone like that willfully submit to him - it gives Eren such an indescribable thrill that he simply has to swoop down to kiss Levi right there and then, swallowing the moan that rises up from his throat.

“You’re so pretty, darling,” he purrs after drawing back, gently cradling Levi’s face in his hands. “Look at you, so excited already.”

“I’m not,” Levi tries to claim with his cheeks aflame, biting down a groan when Eren grinds his ass down against the very obvious erection that’s tenting the front of his boxers. “Eren, you fucking tease.”

He lets out a tiny laugh at that. “Well, what did you expect? I can’t help but to rile you up a little when you’re offering yourself up to me so temptingly.” His fingers skirt down along Levi’s abdomen, pausing just below his navel when he more feels than hears Levi draw in a sharp breath. “Are you going to use your words like a good boy or shall I make you beg for it?”

With narrowed eyes, Levi raises his leg, or at least tries to - it’s a little challenging with Eren sitting on top of him, but he does manage to deliver a light kick to Eren’s foot. It’s more playful, almost challenging when paired with the self-assured little smile on Levi’s face, his whole being screaming out _‘make me’_. So that’s how they’re doing it tonight, huh?

“You fucker,” Levi murmurs hoarsely as Eren presses down against his erection again. “Get on with it.”

“Such terrible manners,” Eren chides him and shakes his head, feigning disappointment. “And to think I was going to let you fuck me straight away. I was preparing myself beforehand, too.” He reaches back to spread himself out, bearing down on Levi hard enough that he can feel the end of the small plug lodged in Eren’s ass. It had been torture waiting for Levi with that thing inside of him, but he’d held off, his head swirling with images of him riding Levi for as long as he pleased and reducing him to a crying mess.

The wooden bed posts creak a little when Levi yanks at his bounds, but they don’t give way. “Fuck, touch me already,” he says all in one breath, a pleading edge in his voice, but Eren’s made his decision and he’s sticking with it.

“No. Not yet.” He’s off the bed and halfway across the room in an instant, relishing in the barely audible whimper that escapes Levi. “Don’t move an inch, love. I have some chocolate and strawberries in the kitchen, you must be famished after such a long day.” It’s said in a cheery and light tone, and Eren finds himself genuinely amused by the baffled and nearly offended expression on Levi’s face.

“How am I supposed to even eat any of that without my hands?” he asks and raises a brow, trying to draw his legs up  to conceal his painfully apparent arousal.

Eren looks at him with burning hunger in his eyes, his voice filled with a dozen indulgent promises as he drawls out, “That’s part of the fun.”


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a sequel to chapter 22 (ebony)

There is nothing sexy about Bach, and Eren knows this.

“Well done,” Levi tells him after he lifts his fingers off the keys, having just finished a particularly challenging piece. “You’ve become very skilled, Eren.”

It’s the way he says it, voice warm with approval and affection and pride - all those things he’s craved so much from Levi all these years - that makes Eren crack.

He swallows once, twice, around the heavy lump in his throat. “Really?” he says and feels so damn small under Levi’s gaze, as if expecting him to take his words back any moment now.

Levi doesn’t. In fact, he leans in closer to wind his arm around Eren’s shoulders, close enough that Eren can make out the faint scent of his cologne. “So modest,” he sighs, light yet intimate. His other hand comes to stroke over Eren’s cheek in a soft caress and then they’re locking eyes and Eren is so wonderfully trapped. “And handsome, too. I would’ve expected some lucky girl to steal you away, already.”

“I only want you,” he confesses, and Levi’s features soften into a smile.

“See? You’re such a darling,” he goes on and kisses Eren, just a barely-there brush on the lips. “Lovely both inside and out. Simply perfect.”

Eren crosses his legs very deliberately, and in an effort to distract himself from the heavy lust rising up from the pit of his stomach, he draws Levi in for an another kiss. It’s not too effective, since the warm pressure of Levi’s lips against his only makes him yearn for even more contact.

Of course, Levi is careful with him, always so careful. “Relax, Eren. Open your mouth a little wider,” he speaks into the miniscule space in between them, coaxing out tension from Eren’s shoulders that he hadn’t even noticed with a press of his hand. Then, after Eren’s melting into him, pliant and willing under his touch, he mutters in a low voice, “There you go, good boy,” before slotting their lips together again.

With only the tiniest hint of shame, Eren moans into the kiss and presses his legs together harder. He could wither to the floor, but luckily Levi’s arms are wrapped around him and not letting go. Those words echo in Eren’s head in an endless loop - good boy, good boy, Levi had called him a good boy - as he desperately tries to hold it together.

Levi’s hand is laid over the curve of Eren's thigh, warm and natural and grounding somehow. “Oh? Do you like that?” Levi asks with his lips curving up into the slightest of smiles. “When I praise you?”

He should deny it, should hide away his selfish desires, because while Levi has been nothing but kind and patient with him, these are things that even Eren himself cannot begin to understand.

“Yes,” he admits at last and wants to run. Levi looks at him, and it’s like he’s gazing into Eren’s very soul, seeing him as he is, bared and raw and wanting.

“I like it, too,” Levi murmurs as he moves to trail kisses down along his neck. “You’re a very good boy, Eren, and I love you so, so much.” His voice wavers a little towards the end, but it must be true since his gaze on Eren is firm and insistent.

There are tears brimming up from somewhere behind Eren’s eyes that he blinks away as quickly as he can. “Oh,” he croaks. His hands are itching to reach out and grab on to Levi’s pristine white collar and his tie and the lapels of his vest, to mess him up just a little. But he’s so weak in Levi’s embrace, and his fingers shake as he tugs at the fabric of Levi’s shirt, fumbling and indecisive.

“I love you,” Levi repeats as he leans closer, his thumb sweeping over Eren’s lips that open up easily under his touch. “Such a good boy.”

It’s a good thing that Levi kisses him again just then, because Eren is sure he would have let out a very embarrassing mewl had his mouth not been otherwise occupied  He can feel it, though, heady arousal clouding his head and pleasant heat spreading up along his body. Whenever Levi speaks kind words to him, or kisses him, or touches him like he’s something precious and dear to him, Eren’s heart becomes so light and full of affection unlike anything he’s ever felt before.

He calls out Levi’s name against his lips, only inches apart. “I don’t know what to do with myself when you’re around,” he blurts out in an unsteady voice, his hands grasping on to Levi harder as if he might fade away like a mirage.

But Levi is there, he’s real and warm and solid under Eren’s touch. “Me neither,” he murmurs while trailing patterns over the small of Eren’s back with his fingertips, searching, wandering, mapping him out. Being this close to Levi is intoxicating, and knowing that his presence has a similar effect of Levi gives Eren such a rush.

There are a couple of stray hairs resting over Levi’s forehead that Eren tucks back behind his ear, lingering for a while. “Are we done with Bach for today?” he asks with the most persuasive smile he can manage.

“Sure.” Levi laces their fingers together and squeezes lightly. “You wanna try some Händel instead?”

Händel is quite possibly the last thing on Eren’s mind - or maybe second to last, right before Bach - so he makes a big show out of rolling his eyes and groaning and complaining about how Levi had completely ruined the mood with that suggestion.

“Come on, Händel is romantic,” Levi claims with a grin. “And I know you’re talented enough to pull it off.”

“Really?” Eren doesn’t bother trying to hide the hint of coyness in his voice, because while he doesn’t particularly care for Händel, he’s extremely interested in any and every opportunity to have Levi compliment him. “You think so?”

“Of course,” Levi states without a shadow of a doubt. “I can tell you’ve been practising a lot, you’d probably do well with something more complicated.

Doing well, especially with Levi watching, makes something restless and wild stir in Eren.

“Okay, we’ll do Händel, then,” he says with a long exhale, and after Levi’s turned his attention towards the notebooks scattered on top of the piano, adds in a barely audible voice, “Fuck.”

“That part comes later tonight,” Levi intones like he’s talking about the weather, and Eren flushes right up to the roots of his hair. “But for now, let’s start with this one, shall we?’

Eren stares at the notes placed in front of him and concentrates. The ivory is cool and familiar against his skin, his hands finding their way to the right keys without second thought, hovering there as he prepares himself.

"Good boy,” Levi whispers and kisses the shell of his ear, lightly, like a promise. “Whenever you’re ready, my love.”


	48. Chapter 48

Those dead yet curiously shimmering green eyes are what catch Levi’s attention first. Then, after looking at the price tag, he stops dead in his tracks and says, “I’ll take this one, please.”

The perky little sales associate who’s been blathering away about their newest models for a good ten minutes now stops, too. “Oh, you don’t want that one,” she replies with a resolute shake of her head. “It’s a display piece, and the last one, too. We don’t even have any more of those in stock since its software is no longer receiving updates.”

That’s probably why it’s so cheap, Levi reasons. Barely 10 000 dollars for a household service android is a steal. He scrolls through the product details shown on the touchscreen next to the display - voice recognition, long battery life, and a built-in wi-fi hotspot.

The sales associate hasn’t given up yet, chattering away even though Levi really couldn’t care less. “If it’s features you’re after, I’d recommend our very newest Krista model,” she chirps. “It has various customization options and nine unique orifices.”

To think that they now live in a world where people will pay six figures just to fuck an appliance, even if a human-shaped one. Mankind sure has come a long way from doing questionable things with vacuum cleaners.

“I’m not interested in orifices,” Levi intones and fights the urge to roll his eyes.

“Oh.” She pauses for a while, but soon her face lights up again. “In that case, I’d recommend Reiner, which is a bit of an older model but has realistic muscle definition and a detachable—”

“I just want something that will clean and do laundry and stuff like that,” Levi interrupts in a clipped voice. “No extras. This,” he squints at the screen, “this Eren will do just fine.”

The perky associate is really trying, bless her heart. She rattles off exactly what’s wrong with Erens - they’re prone to overheating and crashing during extended use, they’re costly and difficult to repair since they have no removable parts, and their AI is rather slow compared to their newer models, so if Mr. Ackerman doesn’t mind, she’d be glad to show him some of their more efficient androids.

He does mind, though, and at last, after a needlessly long time, the associate gives up. She processes the payment, that unnaturally bright smile never leaving her face as she informs Levi that since he’s purchasing a display android, he cannot return or exchange it. She does slip him a coupon for 20 % off on his next purchase, which Levi tucks away in his wallet. While he doesn’t really agree with the service, he has been meaning to get a new toaster soon. Hopefully those don’t yet come with additional orifices or detachable goodness-knows-whats.

When the associate boots Eren up, those empty green eyes flicker to life and slowly focus their gaze on Levi. They’re technically not eyes, they’re ocular receptors, completely artificial and made of metal and wires and electrical components. Levi knows this, but he still feels like the thing is sizing him up somehow.

It’s silent, unnervingly so, but as the associate explains, its AI is slow to start up. “Come,” she snaps like she’s talking to a dog, and though a little hesitant, Eren falls into step with them as she leads Levi to the door. For all intents and purposes, it looks like a human.

Of course, since it’s an android, it has nothing over its casings, which, especially now in broad daylight, kind of bothers Levi. Androids aren’t meant to wear clothes since they’re not affected by weather conditions, and it’s not like Eren has realistic anatomy - if anything, it's designed like a mannequin in that regard. However, from a distance, one could mistake it for a human. A naked one, at that.

It’s a dumb thing to do, but he takes off his suit jacket and hands it to Eren. It merely blinks at him, not lifting a finger, so Levi reaches to drape the jacket over its shoulders. “That’s a little better,” he says, more to himself than to Eren. That would be like trying to have a conversation with your dishwasher.

During the car ride back to his apartment, he watches Eren from the corner of his eye. It appears more alert with every moment that passes, its eyes observing the traffic that whizzes by and its hand raised up to clutch at the fabric of the jacket Levi had given to it. As far as design goes, Levi has to admit that it is rather attractive with its long limbs and tan skin, not to mention the startlingly vivid emerald eyes and the wispy brown hair. It has carefully sculpted facial features, a defined jawline and strong brows that suggest it’s meant to present as male. Not that its appearance matters to Levi at all, not in _that_ sense, at least, but he has eyes - real, human eyes - and he can admit that it is conventionally attractive without wanting to stick his dick in it, okay?

Stopping at a red light, he stares blankly ahead as the sales associate’s words ring in his ears. “Why would you even need nine different orifices?” he wonders out loud, immediately struck with horrific mental images to answer that question.

Then, for the very first time, Eren speaks up. “The store is open until eight if you change your mind and want to get that one, instead.” His gaze never leaves the window, his voice toneless yet not as mechanical as Levi would have expected. “Or the one with a detachable—”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Levi blurts out and instantly feels like an idiot. Eren is a damn appliance, he doesn’t need to talk to it like a human. “You know what a mop is and how to use one, right? That’s enough features for me.”

Eren turns towards him now and cocks its head like it’s thinking about the question very hard, a gesture that looks almost too human. “That’s a kind of dog, isn’t it?” it asks, and after Levi merely stares at it in incredulous silence, it adds with a sigh, “That was a joke, lighten up a little.”

“I didn’t realize you came with a pre-installed sass module,” Levi quips and forgets all about driving onwards, prompting some angry honking from the car behind them. His hands grip on to the steering wheel hard enough to leave marks, because Eren had just let out a light, flowing laugh, the kind of sound that he’s never heard any other appliance make before.

“That’s what happens when you’re no longer updated,” it says and taps at its head with its index finger. “You should’ve listened to Haley.” When all Levi does is raise his brows, it goes on, “The sales girl. She said some kind of mean things about me, but they were all true.”

It’s strange, but Levi almost feels a little sad at that. Eren is not human and thus has no emotions, but to hear its AI talk like it has genuine self-esteem issues does tug at his heartstrings. He very carefully pushes aside the implication that Eren has been awake and alert while on display to such a degree that it knows the salespeople's names and had heard their discussion along with possible countless others during its time at the store, because that just raises up a whole slew of questions.

“Haley also tried to sell me an overpriced sex doll when all I wanted was something for cleaning, so I don’t really trust her judgement that much,” Levi says.

Eren stares at him with an unreadable expression on its face as it processes those words. “Fair enough,” it says eventually and turns its attention back towards the downtown traffic. “Though if you’re so inclined, you could always take a drill and make a hole in my left armpit. There’s a specific space there that doesn’t really have any important hardware.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Levi replies, “Let’s not do that. How are you with cooking, by the way?”

Eren casts a sidelong glance at him that’s full of disbelief. “You really just want me for basic household tasks,” it states flatly, as if it can’t quite grasp that fact.

“Yes,” Levi answers. “So, can you cook?”

“Of course I can,” Eren huffs like it’s the most obvious thing ever. “I have a vast collection of recipes stored right up here.” It taps its head again. “Literally. Three terabytes worth of breakfast foods alone.  Twenty terabytes in total.”

Breakfast foods happen to be his favorites, he decides just then, and it only has a little to do with how absurdly proud Eren looks when mentioning them. “That’s impressive,” he says, and Eren fucking beams at him, and he doesn’t even know how it’s possible for an android to literally beam like the damn sun, but he’s still somehow so hopelessly transfixed by the curve of Eren’s lips and the enthusiastic glint in the green of his eyes.

 **_Its_ ** _eyes,_ he corrects himself mentally. Because that’s what Eren is, a machine. A very pretty and lifelike one, but a machine nonetheless.

“Very impressive,” Eren agrees, nodding. “See, I’m not _quite_ as crappy as you’ve been led to believe.”

So far Eren is meeting all his standards of being able to cook and clean, and the amount of personality is a pleasant surprise. “You’re not crappy at all,” he says in what’s meant to be a casual remark but then he sees something in Eren’s face soften unexpectedly and feels the slightest bit of warmth creeping up along his neck, and dear God, he’s so fucked, isn’t he?

“Well, thanks.” It’s spoken quietly, muttered into the heavy air in between them. Eren raises its voice a little as it suggests, “How about crepes for breakfast tomorrow? I found a really interesting recipe online a few months ago that I’ve been dying to try out.”

He faintly wonders if it’s supposed to be the other way around, if he’s meant to be the one telling Eren what to do. But, then again, his breakfast this morning had consisted of black coffee and a single apple, so crepes sound quite nice to him.

“That would be great,” Levi replies and nearly rear-ends the car in front of them since Eren’s beautiful eyes lighting up are all he can see.

Yeah, he’s definitely fucked.


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a sequel to chapter 48

Levi wakes up with the scent of freshly brewed coffee tickling his nose. 

For a few moments he thinks he might’ve died overnight and gone to heaven. The sheets are soft and warm against his skin as he burrows deeper into their embrace, his gaze drawn to the glowing red numbers on his alarm. It’s ten minutes to six, ten minutes before the damn thing will start ringing  He can’t remember the last time he'd woken up before his alarm, but that’s not the only strange thing here. 

He can hear someone in his kitchen, opening cupboards and clinking utensils together, and when he sees the faint light shining from the doorway, he’s awake in an instant. It only takes a second or two to grab his phone from the nightstand, and just as he’s about to dial 911, he remembers Eren. 

It’s just Eren, he realizes, tossing the phone aside with a yawn. Still, he could’ve sworn he hadn’t specifically assigned Eren to make breakfast. Unless their discussion in the car had counted as assigning Eren to it, though Levi has his doubts. 

All these questions escape his head as he steps into the kitchen, because somehow, inexplicably, Eren’s standing there by the stove wearing a fucking apron.

“What is that?” he asks, the words sounding clumsy and hoarse to his own ears. 

Eren whirls around, waving at him with the spatula it’s currently holding. “Good morning!” it states in a cheery voice. “These are vanilla crepes with strawberry cream cheese filling. Would you like a cup of coffee while waiting for them to cook?”

“Crepes, huh.” He shuffles to the counter and takes a seat, his eyes fixed on the frying pan where Eren’s currently turning over the last crepe. There’s a small bowl of the strawberry filling sitting off to the side, along with a plate full of freshly cooked golden brown crepes.

Without being asked, Eren hands him a cup of black coffee. “It is currently 5.53 am on Monday. The weather today is cloudy with a chance of light showers throughout the day, the temperature staying around 59 F,” it rattles off.

“Okay, stop. One thing at a time,” Levi interrupts, rubbing at his temples. “Where did you get that apron?”

“I found it in your cleaning closet,” Eren states with a shrug. That’s fair enough, but the thing’s been hanging there completely unused for a good reason - Hanji had bought it as a housewarming present when he’d first moved in, and the gaudy floral pattern and bright neon pink letters at the front reading “Kiss The Cook” had been enough for Levi to stash it away to never see the light of day again. 

“Take it off, please,” Levi mutters. It’s too early for this, so he turns to the sweet elixir of life that is coffee, gulping down a generous mouthful before speaking up again. “And don’t talk to me about the weather and time of day and stuff. Already feels like Stepford Wives or something.”

For a fleeting moment, Eren looks almost dejected, but any supposed emotion is gone in an instant as it slips the apron off. “Noted. I’ll plate some crepes for you.” It returns to the stove and Levi’s momentarily rendered speechless by the amount of bare tan skin right there in front of his eyes. Even from up close, it would be easy to think Eren was human, and Levi doesn’t even want to know what his neighbors might say if they passed by his window and saw a naked man mopping his floor.

“Wait,” he breathes out, his eyes screwed shut tightly as he wills his thoughts to quiet down for just a moment. “Put the apron back on. It’s better than nothing.”

Now he’s sure Eren makes a confused face - even if being confused is something machines aren’t supposed to do - as it picks up the apron. “Alright, then,” it intones, but moves on soon enough. 

In a matter of minutes, Levi has a delicious portion of strawberry cream cheese filled crepes in front of him that he eagerly digs into. Aprons aside, it’s possibly the best breakfast he’s ever had, and as he announces this fact out loud, Eren nearly drops the dish rag it had been holding. While Levi eats and idly reads through the news on his phone, it flits around the kitchen, loading up the dishwasher and wiping down the counters in an efficient manner. It’s a quiet, calm morning for once, something that’s incredibly rare for him most of the time.

“I’ll get started with vacuuming and mopping the floors, and then clean the kitchen and bathroom more thoroughly,” Eren informs him as he’s shrugging his jacket on and getting ready for work. “Is there anything else you would like done?” 

Once again, Levi thinks he’s the one that should be giving Eren orders, but with the sweet, full taste of strawberry and vanilla still lingering on his tongue, he finds himself nodding. “Yeah, no, that sounds good,” he stutters, and surely it must be the crepes once again that are making him so lightheaded as he watches Eren flash a smile at him. 

“Okay, see you later, then,” it says.

“Yeah,” Levi says, momentarily forgetting how to operate his own front door as he fumbles with the handle. “See you.”

It isn’t until he’s in his car that he breathes out a long sigh of relief. For fuck’s sake, he would’ve assumed that interacting with an android would be easier than interacting with a real human being, but apparently his social awkwardness knows no bounds. At least Eren seems to be all smiles all the time despite of Levi’s lack of finesse.

He manages to avoid the worst of the morning traffic and arrives to work ten minutes early, surprising both himself and the familiar receptionist in the lobby. Being on time for once does mean that he ends up having to ride the same elevator with Hanji, who spends so much time at work that there are a number of rumors about them living in the building. That, paired with their insistence to show up at the office in t-shirts and jeans, and, on some occasions,  well-worn overalls better suited for manual labor on the factory floor, have made them something of a legend among the younger associates. 

“Someone’s looking refreshed today!” Hanji calls out as soon as they lay eyes on him. “What happened to you?”

“Nothing happened,” Levi states with a scowl. “Can’t I just be early for once?”

“Sure, whatever you say.” Hanji raises their hands apologetically. “By the way, you have a little something right there.” They point a finger towards Levi’s right cheek, drawling out with a suggestive grin, “Whipped cream, maybe?”

Levi turns around to stare at his reflection from the mirrors on the wall, and just as Hanji had said, there’s a tiny little tuft of something white clinging on to his cheek. He’s quick to swipe it away, and, without really thinking, he licks it off his index finger. 

“Tastes like strawberry,” he mumbles to himself, and behind him, Hanji looks like they’re about to spontaneously combust any minute now. 

The morning consists of meetings upon boring meetings, which gives Levi plenty of time to think. They’re currently listening to a group of college guys who, to Hanji’s utter joy, had arrived to give their presentation while dressed as casual as can be. Flip flops, cargo shorts, the whole works. The prototype they’ve developed for reducing carbon dioxide emissions seems solid enough, but Levi’s more amused at the contrast between a whole boardroom of middle-aged men in neat, tailored suits and five frat bros in meme t-shirts and snapbacks. 

His thoughts linger on clothes throughout his lunch break, and instead of heading right back to the office, he finds himself at one of the most popular shopping centers downtown. It’s not too crowded during this time of the day, so he can sift through racks of clothing in peace, in search of something he can’t quite name. Then, as he catches himself eyeing a lovely emerald green sweater, he at last realizes what he’s doing - he’s buying clothes for Eren. 

He has to stop for a long while and question his life choices as the fact dawns on him. Eren is a machine, an appliance, it is not meant to wear clothes. He might as well get his coffeemaker a little tuxedo, because buying clothes for an android is at about the same level of absurdity. It doesn’t matter how human it looks like, it has no real use for clothes.

Those are all facts, but Levi still adds the emerald green sweater into his basket. It’s soon joined by some comfy t-shirts, a couple of smart button-downs, and a few pairs of jeans. He’s not sure what kind of colors Eren likes, or if even it’s capable of liking things, so he goes mostly for neutral shades, grays and blacks and blues, with a splash of green here and there, just because he thinks it’ll match Eren’s eyes nicely. That’s what’s going on, he’s doing this purely for aesthetics, he tries to reason with himself. It’s no different from picking out new curtains - all he’s doing is making sure that Eren fits in with the rest of his decor. 

By the time he reaches the register, he’s also picked up some shoes and a warm wool coat for Eren. Which, once again, makes no sense, but Levi’s life has been making exceedingly little sense lately. He considers this among other things while the cashier is ringing him up. 

_ Aesthetics _ , Levi repeats in his head. That’s what it’s all about. Even if Eren can’t feel the snow under his feet or the chilly wind on his skin like Levi does, it should at least look the part. Besides, if it goes out running errands on his behalf in winter, it would surely attract needless attention walking outside barefoot and only in a t-shirt. And it doesn’t really matter if the coat he’d picked out happens to be one of the more expensive ones with a stylish cut and hand-crafted brass buttons, because, once again,  _ aesthetics _ .

He’s carrying three bags with him as he exits the store. Of course, before even thinking about heading back to his office, he stashes his purchases away in the backseat of his car. Then, with minutes to spare, he heads back to work, swiftly ignoring Hanji who passes him by in the lobby and remarks how creepy it is seeing him look so delighted. 

He’s  _ not _ delighted. Or maybe he is, but it’s the sort of delighted that comes from buying a gorgeous new painting or a wonderfully soft rug, which shouldn’t be all that special, really, but this  _ feels _ special, even if he can’t quite put his finger on it. Does that count as something?

Levi has no idea, and after blankly staring at his computer screen for what must be an eternity, he’s left none the wiser. There are a number of e-mails he has to answer and data to sort through, so he forces himself to concentrate and get at least something done. For now, he pushes aside all thoughts of green eyes and that luminous smile he’ll surely be greeted with when he returns home.

The rest of his day passes by without incident. In addition to looking through tedious charts and figures, he has one more meeting to attend that luckily ends a few minutes early. As such, he’s out the door and in his car in the blink of an eye. 

It takes him a while to find a decent radio station, and even then he fiddles with the volume for ages, all the while glancing at the rearview mirror to make sure the bags of clothing in his backseat haven’t mysteriously disappeared. They’re still there, and after pulling into his driveway and shutting off the engine, Levi stares at them for a long time, his fingers tapping a restless rhythm against the dashboard. 

Eventually he gathers up both his courage and the bags and heads inside. As soon as he steps through the door he notices the faint scent of lemon and fresh linen. It’s quiet, but not unnervingly so, and when he strains his ears, he can make out faint footsteps from the kitchen. 

“Welcome back,” Eren calls out to him as he sets the bags on to the couch. It’s still wearing the apron, Levi notices, along with a pair of disposable gloves, and is apparently in the middle of scrubbing the oven clean. “How was work?”

“I bought clothes for you,” Levi blurts out all in one breath, gesturing at the bags. 

Eren raises a brow as it approaches, peeling the gloves off. “Pardon?” it asks in a flat voice.

“Clothes,” Levi repeats, feeling ridiculous. He watches Eren reach for the first bag, holding his breath as it picks up the green sweater and examines it closely. “But, if you don’t like them you don’t have to wear them or anything, it’s fine, I was just, yeah.” He tapers off as he stares at the immaculately clean floor like it’s the most interesting thing he’s ever seen. 

“These are clothes,” Eren states, and it almost sounds like a question. It checks through all the bags briefly, coming to the same conclusion on all of their contents. “These are just regular clothes.”

“Yes?” Levi croaks. He should’ve known Eren wouldn’t like them, of course it wouldn’t. It’s an android, it doesn't care for things like that. 

Now Eren’s smiling, its hands smoothing down the soft fabric of the sweater. “Sorry, I was just surprised. Honestly, I was expecting a French maid costume or full-out leather Dominatrix gear or something much worse.”

“No. Definitely not.” Then, after a moment of silence, Levi rushes to exclaim, “I mean, no offense if that’s what you enjoy wearing, uh, if you want I can get you things like that, too.”

This time Eren laughs, and that melodious sound still makes Levi lose his train of thought for a moment. “No way. I’d much rather wear these,” it says, its eyes shining with something akin to warmth. “Thank you.”

They have roast chicken for dinner. Well, he has roast chicken - Eren sits on the counter and amuses him by showing him some of its favorite cat videos. It had changed into the new clothes right away, and now, as it sits there wearing the emerald green sweater and a pair of black jeans, it seems much more like a man rather than a machine. As long as one ignores the fact that it’s currently using its eyes to project cute kittens on to Levi’s kitchen wall. 

Even that’s quite human, Levi thinks. Enjoying silly things like cat videos, which Eren has devoted several playlists to. That’s some dedication right there. 

“So, what are we doing for breakfast tomorrow?” he asks after he’s swallowed down his mouthful of potatoes and chicken. 

Eren perks up at that, listing off some of the options from its three terabytes of breakfast food data, and Levi, so entranced by Eren’s mere presence, simply nods along. 


	50. caramel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a sequel to chapter 25 (meringue) and chapter 43 (chocolate)

“Can I lick the spoon when you’re done?” Eren asks from where he’s sitting on the counter watching Levi work. 

He damn near spills the caramel all over the cupcakes he’s supposed to be carefully coating. Eren hangs around in the kitchen so often that Petra jokes they should start paying him already, but there’s still a part of Levi that cannot believe he’s actually  _ here _ , spending time with him out of his free will. Sometimes he’ll compliment Levi’s baking or swoop in to kiss him on the cheek, which consequently renders Levi unable to function for a moment or two. 

“Uh,” he replies and sets down the pan just to be sure. He’d rather not waste his caramel by splattering it all over the floor in the case that Eren does something terrifyingly adorable. Sure, he has a second batch of it bubbling away on the stove since lately he’s gotten into the habit of baking rather generous amounts of pastries. That’s all Eren’s fault, too, it’s literally impossible to deny anything from him when he fixes you with one of those wide-eyed looks, so of course Levi offers him samples of everything and revels in every little contented hum and blissful sigh that Eren lets out as the sweet taste hits him.

He hands the wooden spoon to Eren, its surface still coated in sticky golden caramel from where Levi had been using it to stir the mixture. He’s transfixed by the movement of Eren’s fingers as they wrap around it, and when he darts his tongue out to taste the caramel, Levi swears he can feel his very soul escaping his body. 

The thing is, he wants to do things to Eren. Indecent, horrible things. Sure, they’ve hugged and kissed and stuff, and that’s all fun and good, but quite often he’s struck with the realization that he wants to completely wreck Eren and reduce him to a writhing, desperate mess. 

Some of the caramel is running down and dripping over Eren’s knuckles, but he’s quick to lap it up before it gets any further. He’s very talented with his tongue, Levi notes, scorching heat crawling up from the pit of his stomach as he imagines all the other things Eren could possibly do with his mouth. He knows how Eren's lips feel against his, knows how lovely and soft and ticklish it is to have them brush against his jaw, but as he watches his tongue darting out in careful little licks, he finds himself craving a whole different kind of affection from him. 

“It’s really good,” Eren remarks and beams at him, as innocent as can be. “A little salty but sweet at the same time.”

Levi’s done. He’s  _ done _ , okay. How dare Eren sit there fellating a kitchen utensil while glancing at him from between his lashes and looking so damn tempting with his wispy hair and the wicked smile lingering on his lips.

By the time Eren’s finished with his treat, Levi is convinced that he’s doing it all on purpose. Those noises, fuck, the quiet little mewls of delight and satisfied moans that fall from him in between stealing coy looks at Levi, it’s far too seductive to be just about the caramel. Eren even seems a little disappointed once he’s licked it all off, nibbling at the spoon idly with his brows slightly furrowed. 

Without even thinking about, Levi grabs an another spoon and swirls it through the cooling caramel in the pan, slow and purposeful. 

“Here.“ He hands the spoon to Eren after having made sure that it’s generously coated in caramel. “You can lick this one, too.”


	51. snuggle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based on ciara's pear au bc im still fkign dyin g

Levi isn’t really sure how and when such a thing had occurred, but at some point in time he’d just happened to lay his eyes on Eren’s ass and think to himself,  _ yes, excellent, this ass is good and soft and Mine and I’ll cherish and protect it to my last dying breath.  _

That’s what he’s doing right now, okay, he’s protecting the ass. He doesn’t  _ snuggle _ , even if Eren is trying to claim otherwise. Snuggling is something that adorable tiny animals do, he’s more like a ferocious tiger guarding its territory. 

Eren has the audacity to laugh in his face at that. “Admit it, you’re all soft and gooey on the inside,” he insists with a teasing quirk of his lips. 

_ Maybe _ . “No,” he says out loud and rests his forehead against the small of Eren’s back, hands grasping lightly on to the supple flesh of his ass. He’s draped himself over Eren like an especially clingy blanket, hooking one leg around his ankle and pressing himself against the lovely warmth of Eren’s body, but he’s not snuggling, damn it. Maybe cuddling at most, but definitely not snuggling. 

Underneath him, Eren makes a valiant effort of rolling over on to his back, but it’s severely impeded by the fact that Levi’s all but laying on him with his hands kneading his ass. “You could’ve just said you wanted to snuggle instead of flopping down on top of me,” he points out, setting his textbook aside in favor of reaching back to card his fingers through Levi’s hair. “This is a bit of an awkward position.”

It’s the perfect position in Levi’s opinion, having that beautiful ass right there in front of him and being able to nuzzle his face into the fabric of Eren’s sweater. This is what heaven must be like, he thinks, a round ass and a pair of soft thighs to rest his weary head upon, all of his worldly burdens forgotten. He’s been blessed, allowed to bask in the brilliant light of an actual angel’s plush backside. 

“You’re the worst. I’m never snuggling with you again,” Eren complains when Levi blurts his thoughts out loud, his face bright red as he swats at him with a pillow. 

“It’s not snuggling.” He scrapes his teeth lightly over the skin of Eren’s lower back, a sense of dark delight washing over him as he hears Eren let out a strained gasp. “I told you, I’m guarding my territory.”


	52. daffodil

The problem is that Eren is  ridiculously handsome these days. 

Sure, Levi had always acknowledged that the kid was kinda cute, especially after he’d started growing his hair out and learned to control his temper better. That had been it, though, and since back then Levi had still been his Captain, he’d never really even allowed himself to dwell on such things. But now when he’s retired - and growing soft with age, as Eren himself had claimed once with a twinkle in his eyes - he’s become painfully aware of just how attractive he finds Eren. 

He’s sitting amongst tall grass and wildflowers, more focused on admiring the line of Eren’s broad shoulders than paying attention to what he’s doing with his squad. Since he can’t deny a single thing from Eren, he’d naturally agreed to come along and watch them train. It would be really helpful, Eren had said, worrying on his bottom lip with his teeth in a way that had been horribly distracting to Levi, because even though he’d now officially been promoted to Squad Leader, he could use some feedback on his training methods. 

They’ve been at it for what must be hours now, and Levi’s quite impressed. Maybe he really is old and soft, because he’d have allowed at least one break somewhere in between. Eren’s more strict than he would’ve imagined, even tense at times, and Levi’s not at all envious of his squad members. 

It’s quite nice, in a way, sitting in the sun and merely allowing time to pass. That’s a luxury in and of itself, he thinks, being able to stop and smell the flowers, both figuratively and literally. He’s plucked a freshly blooming daffodil from the ground and is twirling it in his fingers when Eren seems to have decided it’s finally time for a break. 

Without hesitation, Eren comes to him, leaving his squad to cool off amongst themselves. He plops down on the ground next to Levi, a little out of breath but still no less gorgeous. There’s a small frown resting over his features and Levi wants to kiss it away, to press his lips against the crease in his brow and the downturned corners of his mouth. 

“Hi,” Eren says and manages a wry grin. “How am I doing so far?” 

Levi tears his gaze away from the shining green of Eren’s eyes and instead turns to watch his squad members, most of whom are also on the ground, trying to catch their breath. “Well,” he starts off and intends to go on, but apparently that’s already enough for Eren. 

“Really? I don’t know,” he sighs, taking a hand through his unruly hair. He’s discarded his jacket long ago and rolled up his sleeves, and Levi finds himself hopelessly transfixed by the firm muscles in his arms. Not to mention his hands, dear God, those broad palms and long skilled fingers that Levi’s imagined touching him all over so many times that he’s lost count by now. 

To top it off, Eren towers over him by now, having grown several inches over the years. That’s completely unacceptable to Levi. This is Eren, his Eren who’d he’d vowed to protect, the perpetually angry and squeaky-voiced kid who’d looked at him like he’d hung the damn moon. His Eren is not allowed to be this attractive, because Levi honestly cannot handle it. 

Eren is in the middle of rambling about something when Levi realizes he hasn’t been listening at all. He’s fidgeting in place, that much Levi registers, hands clenched into fists and his stare darting back and forth from Levi’s face to his own feet as he talks. There’s something trapped in the green of Eren’s eyes that reminds him of a panicked animal, and Levi wants nothing more than to soothe him and tame him. 

“Hey,” he interrupts, making Eren stop abruptly. “It’s okay. Breathe. Relax.”

It’s a horribly clumsy attempt at comforting him, but Eren’s shoulders do drop a little. “Yeah. Okay,” he repeats with a long exhale. “Sorry. It’s, uh, you being here just makes me a little nervous.” It’s all said in one hasty breath, almost fearfully. 

Levi blinks. “It’s okay,” he repeats, and having ran out of things to say, reaches out and hands his daffodil to Eren. “Here. Take this.”

It’s silent for a while, but Eren does extend his hand and pluck the flower from his hand, his face questioning but also a little hopeful. “What?” he asks, as if he hadn’t quite heard right. 

“It reminded me of you,” Levi says and opens his mouth to explain further, but when nothing comes to mind, he closes it again. “Make sure you don’t crush it, though. Maybe train your squad a little less intensely.” He’s not sure if Eren can manage that for even a fraction of a second, being less intense than he usually is, but for the sake of his overworked squad members, Levi sure hopes so. 

“Thank you.” Eren’s lips are curving into a tiny smile, and it’s the most beautiful thing Levi’s ever seen. “I’ll try to take good care of it.”

“I know you will,” he says, more to himself than to Eren since the kid is already up and ready to continue,  newfound enthusiasm in his voice. 

One of the members of his squad outright whimpers when told to get up and resume training, another one actually has the gall to talk back at Eren, but none of them even mention the delicate daffodil now tucked behind his ear. 


	53. fawn

On an especially chilly Tuesday morning when he goes out for more firewood, Levi finds the half-eaten carcass of a young fawn on his yard.

“This is most certainly not my area of expertise,” he says to no-one in particular and turns on his heel, going right back inside. 

He has a gun, of course, that’s one of the first things his colleagues had advised him to bring along. It’s a sturdy hunting rifle that he’d purchased just to be safe, since from the very beginning he’d been fully aware of the predators lurking in the area. It was supposed to be just a precaution, and even now the thought that he might have to shoot something with it makes him vaguely nauseous. 

When you really get down to it, he’s a scientist, not a hunter. Putting down a suffering animal he can manage, but a moving and aggressive target is a whole different issue. 

Hastily cleaning his fogged glasses with the hem of his shirt, Levi realizes that he’ll have to do something about the carcass. The scent of blood can travel for miles, and if he doesn’t dispose of the thing it’ll only attract more predators. 

After a second cup of coffee and some deep breaths, he sets to work. 

The ground is frozen solid, as one would expect, so the best thing he can think of is moving the fawn further away from the cabin. Maybe it’ll help at least a little, because the second option that pops into his head is burning the body, and that is not something he wants to deal with so early in the morning. 

He’s armed with a gun and a shovel as he ventures out again, the freshly fallen snow crunching quietly under his boots. The dead fawn is laying right at the middle of the yard, halfway in between the cottage and the small storage shed, as if someone had meticulously planned to place it right where it’s the first thing you see when stepping outside. There’s a trail of tracks leading from the edge of the forest to the carcass, but they’re too muddled by the wind and the snow to accurately identify which animal had made them. It had dragged the fawn behind it, as evidenced by the trail of blood and the marks in the snow. From the general size of the few stray paw prints left around the body Levi would have to guess it was a lynx or a small wolf, both of which would be more than capable of overpowering a fawn. 

The poor animal has had its stomach sliced open, but to Levi’s surprise, it’s otherwise mostly intact save for a few missing internal organs. That’s odd, he thinks, prodding at it gently with his shovel. He’s seen animal carcasses in the wild before, most of them stripped bare of all meat. Especially in such a cold and unforgiving environment where predators require more energy and thus more food to survive, he would’ve expected to find the fawn more or less eaten. But no, here it is, having sustained injuries mostly to its neck and sides, vicious bites and claw marks, and still in one piece despite of clearly having met its demise at the jaws of a predator. 

He plops the fawn down on a sled he’d dug out from the storage, pulling it behind him as he follows the unknown tracks into the forest. It’s not the smartest idea he’s ever had, but he has his gun and a pair of remarkably quick feet. The right thing to do is to leave the fawn at the mercy of its hunters - prey is hard to come by during the winter, and since it’s already dead at least it can play its part in helping others live on. 

He trudges through the snow for what feels like an hour, following along the tracks until they stop by a river. Having studied the maps of the area, Levi’s fairly sure it’s the same river he likes to fish in that winds its way through the wilderness in seemingly random curves and bends, cascading far up north and flowing in to the Arctic Ocean at the very end. The last tracks are perched at the bank of the river, almost as if the creature had jumped across with its prey. Even after carefully cleaning his glasses, Levi can’t quite make out if the tracks continue on the other side of the river. Either way, the snow would’ve most likely obscured them by now.

That’s where Levi sets the fawn to rest, by the edge of the river with its lifeless eyes gazing towards the swirling water. Someone will find it and live another day, or so he hopes, at least. 

The cabin feels pleasantly warm when he returns, his cheeks flushed and his fingertips numb from the cold. The first thing he does is make a fire, along with slipping on a pair of warm woollen socks. Then, after having warmed up sufficiently, he sets to work.

That's how days pass here in the middle of nowhere. He’s set up his feeding spot directly in front of the living room windows, which means that he can conduct his observations from the comfort and warmth of his cabin. The northern flying squirrel is mostly a nocturnal animal, which means many late nights and countless cups of coffee. During the morning and the day he’ll tidy up his notes into a form that’s easier to analyze, marking down how many squirrels visited him during the night, how long they stayed for, and other important information about their feeding habits. After that, he might catch up on some reading or just spend time relaxing, fix himself a meal, and then sleep at mid-afternoon. That leaves him reasonably well-rested and alert in the evening, ready for yet another night of work. 

Of course, there are certain challenges. The little rental cabin thankfully has running water. It’s not warm, but it comes straight out of the tap and is clear enough to drink and clean yourself with, which is more than Levi could’ve wished for. There’s no electricity, which is why he’d bought along a whole crate of candles and a dozen spare batteries for his laptop just so that he could type up his findings instead of having to rely solely on pen and paper. 

The one that worries him the most is the issue of food, though. The nearest village is at least a hundred miles away, and even with a snowmobile, it takes up a good chunk of his day to make the trip there. So, due to not being much of a hunter, he’d taken up fishing. 

His regular fishing spot is a short walk away from the cabin, just past his feeding spot and then directly south for a mile or two. The forest is quite dense, which makes him feel safe somehow as he sits on his folding stool with his fishing pole in hand, reeling the wobbler in and listening to the breeze rustling through the conifers. Often he’ll bring a thermos full of fragrant tea with him, sipping at it and relishing in the warmth that slowly spreads through him. 

On a good day, he’ll catch a small trout of two, maybe even a pollock. On a more unfortunate day, which, for some reason are becoming more and more common, he’ll spend hours sitting by the river with nothing to show for it. 

On one such day, after getting his wobbler stuck on a branch and cussing to himself for at least five minutes, he spots something moving from the corner of his eye. 

On the other side of the river, there's an animal of some sort wading through the snow. It’s easily discernible against the pure white background, a ball of brown and gray fur shuffling forward until it comes to a stop, perched right by the water. It sits there, staring at Levi with wide eyes. 

It’s a feline of some sort, its body covered in shaggy, thick fur perfect for cold climates. Its head is rounder than a lynx’s and its ears remind him almost of a domestic cat’s ears, not to mention that it’s smaller than any lynx or bobcat. It has the most striking emerald eyes that Levi has ever seen, and as he finds himself being sized up by the creature, he’s all the more convinced that it’s definitely an intelligent being. 

In fact, it almost feels like the damn cat is ridiculing him, its daze darting from Levi’s skewed glasses to the branch he’d just fished up. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Levi drawls out, momentarily forgetting that animals can’t really grasp the concept of sarcasm. 

The cat yowls at him, the noise resembling a broken engine revving up or perhaps an angry tractor stuck in a ditch.  _ Go away, _ its whole being screams out, ears slanting back and teeth bared as it puffs itself up even further. It’s almost cute, like a little fluffy ball of rage, but Levi’s still extremely grateful there’s a river between them.

“I was here first. Find some other place to hunt,” he states, standing his ground. “You’re scaring away all the fish.”

Just as he’s said those words, the cat plunges its paw into the water with a mighty splash, and in the blink of an eye, it’s caught a large pollock with its sharp claws. It pins its catch down, and in one swift motion, rips off its head with its teeth. The fish flops its tail for one last time and then stills. 

The cat shifts its attention from the fish to Levi again. Something dangerous and wild flashes in the green of its eyes -  _ you’re next, human _ \- as it cranes its head back, baring its teeth that are still dripping with fresh blood. 

Luckily, if there’s something that working as a TA has taught him, it’s how to deal with flashy, entitled assholes. A cat is no different from that. 

“Are you not going to share?” he asks the cat in the most bored tone he can muster up. “Kinda rude.”

The cat seems to consider this for a while, and then picks up the head of the fish again. It leans forward, teetering over the water, and spits it out as far as it can reach. Levi watches, transfixed, as the fish head flies through the air, and those few seconds feel like hours in his head. Finally, it lands by his feet with a wet plop, sliding to a stop as it hits the tip of his boot. Even with his limited knowledge of feline behaviour, Levi can tell the gesture isn’t really an offer of food as it is a loud and clear ‘fuck you’.

The cat smiles, honestly smiles, and lets out one final growl before grabbing the rest of its fish and sneaking off the way it came, following its own tracks in the snow. Levi and the fish head remain, the latter dead and the former mildly stunned, staring after the cat even once it’s disappeared among the trees. 

He doesn’t take the fish head back with him, mind you. He’s not that desperate for food yet. 

Besides, it’s not about his food, it’s about the squirrels’. 

They eat mainly lichens, mushrooms and fungi in the wild, so Levi’s buffet of acorns, hickory nuts, beechnuts, and various other kinds of nuts is quite a luxurious occasion for them. He has tens of pounds of nuts stored away, and so far acorns have been the most popular once. He’s noted this down along with other interesting tidbits, like the quantity of nuts consumed by each squirrel, the quantity of nuts they’ll sneak off with and hoard in their nests, and the most popular times to feed. 

Between nine pm and one am seems to be the time when the squirrels are most active, at least based on the data that he’s collected. He conducts his observations for at least seven hours or so, which should give an accurate picture. But still, on one clear and cloudless night as the clock is nearing one am, he’s only had a grand total of three visitors. 

At first he hypothesizes that it’s because of the full moon. It’s shining brightly from the dark sky, and since northern flying squirrels only come out at night, he supposes that they could confuse the pale moonlight for daylight. Then again, he’s seen them out on other moonlit nights, too, so what makes this one so special? 

Actually, it’s not just this night. After leafing through the data, he notices that in the last couple of weeks, the number of squirrels visiting his feeding spot has been steadily decreasing. He sits there, papers in hand as he tries to rack his brain for answers - did he change some variables along the way? Maybe he’s left too much of his scent in the area? What if the nuts have become spoilt somehow? 

There’s currently one single squirrel sitting on the large wooden feeder, nibbling on an acorn. Levi stares at the nervous flickering of its tail, trying to will the animal to speak and tell him why its pals are purposefully screwing with his data. Maybe they’re sentient, he considers, the thought surely just a product of his caffeine-laden imagination instead of a serious hypothesis. They’re set on making Levi fail his thesis, just because they can, those bastards. 

Something green flashes amongst the foliage and Levi jolts awake in an instant. Seems like he’s not the only one interested in the squirrel. As he presses his nose against the window, he makes out a familiar shape lurking in the forest - the shape of a cat.

Levi stumbles back, reaching for his boots and jacket. That fucking thing again, and now it’s after his squirrels. Remembering what had happened to the pollock, he decides that while he’s been beaten as a hunter, he will not be beaten as a scientist, especially not by a damn cat. 

Instead of grabbing his gun, he arms himself with a broom. It’s a nice broom, for one, and if he starts shooting he’ll scare off not only the cat but also all other animals within a good few miles, including squirrels. Besides, he doesn’t want to hurt the thing, only sweep it away - literally - from devouring his research subjects. 

He’s fully expecting to see a bloodbath when he rounds the corner, raising his broom and preparing for a fight. Instead, the squirrel’s still eating peacefully, though it does flee the moment it sees Levi. The acorn it had been eating falls to the ground, and after the squirrel’s disappeared into the bushes, only Levi and the cat remain. 

The cat has inched forward slightly, its fur nearly shining in the moonlight and something resembling amusement twinkling in its eyes. It glances at the broom, and then back at Levi. 

“Shut up,” Levi says in a clipped tone, because he can tell the cat is mocking him. “What are you doing here?”

The cat’s eyes flicker towards the feeder and it licks its lips, though Levi’s sure it’s not just the nuts it’s interested in. 

“This is not your buffet.” He squats down on the cat’s level, hoping it’ll get his point across more clearly. “This is field work for my thesis, and you’re really fucking up my data right now.”

The cat blinks at him and lets out a low growl, but somehow it’s not quite as threatening as before. It’s the broom that does it, Levi figures with a triumphant smirk. Forget about guns, some solid cleaning equipment is all you need to survive in the wild. 

“I know you’re a kitty cat and you won’t get it,” - he’s sure that the cat’s eyes narrow at that, its mouth opening in a quiet yet indignant hiss - “but I’ve been working on this damn thesis for over a year now, writing about these fucking squirrels and reading previous studies, not to mention coming here to bumfuck nowhere to observe these fuckers.”

The cat listens to his tirade in silence, its tail swishing from side to side. “So,” Levi finishes, “honestly, I’m so done, and if you keep ruining my research, I won’t hesitate to kick your fluffy little ass with this broom.”

They stare each other down, him and the cat, neither one willing to give in. After what feels like forever, the cat stands up, as nonchalant as can be, and turns its back to Levi. Against all odds, he finds himself smiling. 

“That’s right,” he calls out as the cat saunters off, “who’s the king of the wilderness now, huh?”

Green eyes flash at him, dripping with contempt, as the cat glances at him over its shoulder. Soon enough, it’s gone, disappeared into the night, and Levi and his trusty broom are left standing as the winners. Well done, he congratulates both himself and the broom in his head. They’ve definitely earned a little reward now, so as soon as Levi’s back inside, he digs out the small bottle of whiskey he keeps in the pantry for special occasions.

Having lived in the backwoods for a few months now, Levi’s learned to enjoy the simple things in life. The warmth of a roaring fire, the scent of pine and fresh snow, the sheer blissful silence that envelops him as soon as he steps outside. There are no amenities here, no internet or television or other things to entertain yourself with, so he  _ has _ to enjoy the simple things, really. 

The cold is something Levi’s still not used to, though. He tries to bundle up as best as he can every time that he has to go outside, not to mention that he has a fire going in the oven of his cabin at all times. If he were an animal, he’d definitely be the kind that hibernates through winter and wakes up when spring is already in full bloom, though he supposes such things don’t really make a difference this far up north. There’s snow on the ground for up to eight months every year, he’d heard on one of his visits to the village, and this year has apparently been even colder than usual so far. 

The evenings and nights are the worst, and thankfully Levi spends most of those indoors. Now that he’s showed the cat who’s boss, the squirrels have returned, and his data is looking a lot better. They don’t seem to suffer from the cold too much, though on a few occasions he has seen several squirrels huddling together for warmth, which had been a strangely adorable sight. They’ll usually linger for ten or fifteen minutes, snacking on nuts and stuffing a few in their mouth for later before scurrying off again. 

After another long night of observation, Levi stretches his hands above his head, and, upon noticing that it’s already dawn, decides that he could use a cup of tea right now. As always, he’s been running on coffee all night, so some calming herbal tea would be a nice change. 

He has to retrieve more firewood from the shed outside, and though it’s only across the yard, he loops a thick scarf around his neck and slips on his mittens in addition to his boots and jacket. The wind bites through all his layers as soon as he steps outside, and he finds himself shivering as he walks, rubbing his hands together in an effort to stay warm. It’s colder than during the evening when he last went out, and he’s already looking forward to curling up on the couch with some blankets and a steaming cup of tea. 

The door creaks a little as he pulls it open, his nostrils immediately hit with the scent of wood. It’s wholesome and comforting in a way that he can’t quite explain, easing some of the tension in his shoulders as he soaks it up. Then, in addition to the wind howling outside, his ears catch the tiniest of noises, the kind that’s definitely not just the creaking of hinges. 

Slowly, he approaches the pile of firewood in the corner, and there it is again, a high-pitched sound that resembles a mewl or a cry. Then, after one more step, a small tuft of fur comes into view from behind the pile. A couple more steps, and Levi’s being stared by frightened green eyes. The lump of fur shivers, dripping water all over the previously dry wood, shying away as Levi reaches a hand towards it. 

The thing is drenched, its glorious thick fur matted and covered in icicles at some parts. It keeps crying silently and makes for such a miserable sight that Levi forgets all about chasing it off with a broom. 

“Did you fall into the river?” Levi asks, only receiving a heartbreaking mewl in response. “Come here, it’s okay.”

The cat stares at him and makes no effort to move, so Levi decides to risk it. His heart pounding away in his ears, he leans over and firmly scoops the cat up in his arms. 

Curiously enough, it doesn’t struggle, not even a little. It merely whines, limp and cold as Levi cradles it against his chest. Sure, the two of them aren’t exactly the best of friends, but Levi wouldn’t just leave an animal to freeze to death. 

“I thought your fur would protect you at least a little,” he mumbles to the cat as he carries it back with him along with the firewood. “Such a dumbass. You better not claw me or I’ll drop you.”

The cat doesn’t claw him so he doesn’t drop it, at least not until he’s inside. He sets it down on the couch, fixing it with a stern look. “Stay here, okay. Don’t move,” he says, and then he’s already halfway in the bathroom grabbing a towel or two. 

After getting a fire going, he approaches the cat again, who, surprisingly enough, hasn’t moved a single inch. It just sits there, shaking slightly with its gaze darting around the room. It jumps a little when Levi sits down next to it, but doesn’t run away.

“You’re probably not going to like this,” Levi says as he reaches for a towel, “but it’s for your own good.”

The cat complains a little but allows Levi to dry it off and even swathe it with some towels and the warmest blanket he can find. Ignoring the whiny growl it lets out, Levi holds the cat up to his chest again, hugging it close as he moves to sit by the fire.

“We need to get your temperature up,” Levi explains to it, rubbing a towel over its fluffy head. “Your fur has probably soaked up a lot of water, it’s so damn thick that we’ll be here all day.”

It goes take a good few hours for the cat’s fur to dry out to the point where it’s no longer shivering, and that’s when Levi feels enough at ease to free the cat from its little cocoon. It’s not entirely dry yet, but as soon as Levi’s set it down, it nearly stumbles over its own feet as it darts off. Levi has to stifle a laugh as he watches the cat realize that it’s too large to hide under the couch and instead settle for burrowing under the blanket he’d left there. It peeks its head out from its hiding spot, blinking at Levi slowly -  _ thank you, human, you will be spared yet  _ \- as it settles there, legs tucked under its body and those emerald eyes watching his every move.

A moment of silence passes before Levi speaks up again. “You’re a special kind of cat, aren’t you?” he says, halfway between a statement and a question. 

The cat neither confirms or denies it, only blinking and following Levi with its gaze as he rises off the floor. It’s a strange arrangement, sharing his little cabin with a wild animal, but it’s not like he can just throw it out into the cold. Besides, there’s something lurking in its eyes that hints at intelligence, maybe even personality, making Levi wonder whether this creature might be more than meets the eye.

“Well, you’re going to be stuck here until you’re all dried off,” Levi states, cracking open the door of his fridge. “I suppose I should offer my guest something to eat, then.”


	54. barbecue

Against his better judgement, Levi had shown up. 

It’s just a simple backyard barbeque, Isabel had assured him. Just a couple of close relatives and friends, nothing too fancy. Besides, Levi’s spent so much time at the Jaegers that he’s practically one of them now, and though Isabel says this in a light, playful tone, he swears he feels his heart grow a few sizes bigger in his chest all of the sudden. 

Not to mentions that the Jaegers have a pool. An actual, real pool, which is a blessing on such hot summer days. There’ll be lots of food, too, hamburgers and buttered corn and ribs, and that had sealed the deal for Levi. It’s just one barbecue, he can handle it. 

The first thing he notices after stepping out into the yard is Eren, hanging out by the grill with a spatula in his hand and wearing the gaudiest apron Levi’s ever seen over his naked torso. His tan skin is covered in a light sheen of sweat from the scorching midday sun, making him honestly glisten as he stands there. Levi’s gaze trails down along his sculpted arms as he drinks in the sight of those perfect muscles and wiry hair that would probably feel really nice to the touch. His hands are quick and skilled as he throws a couple of steaks on to the grill, and suddenly Levi really wants to feel those graceful fingers pressing down on his neck and making him violently gasp for breath. 

“What the fuck,” he states, feeling all the blood in his body rush down south.

Eren looks up at him then, his face lighting up. “Hey Levi! Would you like to try my meat?” he calls out from all the way across the yard, as you do.

Levi chortles, loud and ungraceful, and spends the next couple of moments coughing out his soda. How can someone be so wholesome and innocent while also exuding the aura of a literal sex god? “Uh, yes, please,” he manages to respond, and that’s normal enough, right? Even though the food sizzling on the grill isn’t exactly the kind of meat he’s craving inside him. 

“I’ve got some pork, chicken, and veggies coming up,” Eren lists as Levi approaches. “What would you like?”

“You,” he blurts out before he can stop himself, “pick. I mean, you pick, I’m up for anything.” In more ways than one.

Eren loads his plate up with a bit of everything, including a generous heap of tomatoes, asparagus, and mushrooms. “It’s important to eat your greens,” he sing-songs with a playful wave of his spatula, and fuck, is it bad that Levi really wants Eren to bend him over and spank him with the thing? 

He needs to find his chill, right now, immediately. That’s what he’s going to do, he decides, but just then Eren happens to turn around and greet a passing relative, and Levi very nearly catches a glimpse of his nipple from under the apron.  Maybe if he cranes his head a little he can see some more, because goodness knows Eren is ripped as fuck and probably has the nicest, most firm pecs known to man, if he could just get a tiny little look…

“Do you like my apron?” Eren asks when he turns back and notices Levi’s stare. “Izzy made it for me all the way back in middle school.”

“Uh, yeah,” he replies dumbly, as if he hadn’t just been caught ogling at Eren’s nips. The fact that the apron was made by a child really shows, and he’s sure little Isabel hadn’t intended it that way when she’d been measuring the fabric, but damn it, the thing is kind of skimpy on a grown man, let alone one as broad-shouldered as Eren. He still wears it, of course, because that’s what he’s like, ridiculous and clueless and too damn adorable for his own good. 

“You look a little sweaty,” Eren points out with a quirk of his lips. “Make sure to take a dip in the pool every now and then.”

“I didn’t really bring any swimming trunks,” Levi starts off, but Eren’s quick to interrupt him. 

“Oh, that’s no problem, you can borrow some of mine!” he says, and Levi nearly chokes on his tomato. 

Though he keeps insisting that it’s fine, that he doesn’t really even feel like going for a swim, Eren finds him a pair of his old swimming trunks and insists that he cool off. They’re fairly loose, but even so, Levi has to hide out in the bathroom for a good while as he considers what to do with his rock hard boner. He’s not going to jerk off, okay, that would just be weird. He’s not going to do it, no matter how erotic it is to know that Eren’s manhood has rested against this very same fabric. 

Eren’s probably pretty big down there.  Levi’s seen glimpses here and there, an imprint in some sweatpants and a bulge or two in tight jeans, and while it’s not much, his imagination is happy to fill in the blanks. From what he’s seen, Eren’s a little longer and a whole lot wider than him. He suspects that his might have a slight curve to it, veins prominent along its length. Its weight would be pleasantly firm in his hands, but it might be too big for his mouth. All the better, because while the thought of Eren choking him with his hands is already extremely appealing, him using his cock for the job is even better. 

Before Levi knows it, he’s reaching down to touch himself. Eren would definitely admonish him for being such a dirty boy, for getting so worked up from just sharing a pair of swimming trunks. His eyes would be dark and promising as he’d loom over Levi, murmuring that he needs to be disciplined, corrected, guided along. 

It takes Levi only a couple of strokes to finish, his head thrown back against the bathroom door as he comes all over Eren’s swimming trunks. 

He cleans himself off meticulously, but he still feels dirty in the best of ways as he unlocks the door and rejoins the barbecue. A swim in the cool water is exactly what he needs right now, and he very purposefully does not look in the direction of the grill as he lowers himself into the pool. It’s refreshing enough, and by the time Isabel and a couple of her younger cousins join him, the redness on Levi’s face has eased to such an extent that he can believably claim he’s just been out in the sun for too long. 

And, as shameless as it is, instead of returning the swimming trunks to Eren at the end of the day, he tucks them in his bag, already knowing that he’ll end up dirtying them many more times in the future. 


	55. breakfast

When Keith Shadis asks something of you, it’s not as much as a request as it is a demand. That’s why, when on his rare day off, Levi wakes up a little before six am to the sound of his phone blaring on the nightstand and sees Shadis’ name on the screen, he knows that he’s screwed. 

As it happens, one of the waiters had called in sick, and though Levi keeps insisting that he’s a bartender and not a waiter, this difference seems inconsequential to Shadis. Even as he’s trying to reason with the man, Levi finds himself stumbling out of bed and reaching for his clothes, a part of him already having resigned to his fate. It’s not the first time he’s been called in at a moment’s notice, and since it’s common knowledge that he’d sell his soul for a bit of extra pay, it probably won’t be the last. 

Still, there’s always room for haggling, and he manages to convince Shadis to let him go as soon as breakfast is over. It’s just a couple of hours, and at the end he’ll get to snack on the leftovers, so it could be worse. From the moment Levi steps in the kitchen and sets to work slicing up fruits and plating cheese and ham, he’s counting the minutes to his eventual freedom. 

By the time it’s fifteen minutes to ten, he at last breathes a sigh of relief. Shadis is in an unusually good mood today, and since Levi’s section of the dining room is already nearly empty, maybe he could leave a little early. There’s a few of older German ladies finishing their tea by the door, a couple who are more interested in making heart eyes at each other than actually eating, and a young girl with her parents who’s going back for seconds of cereal. As long as no-one else shows up, Levi’s sure that Shadis’ staff can handle the rest just fine.

As he’s gathering up plates from an empty table, he hears a painfully familiar laugh sound from behind him, and before he’s even turned around he knows exactly who it is. 

Eren’s stopped to exchange a few words with the German ladies, and as one of them reaches up to touch his arm, visibly swooning, Levi has to resist the urge to fling a plate at her. Eren’s as handsome as ever, the sleeves of his pristine white shirt rolled up to his elbows and his hair wispy and mussed like he’d just rolled out of bed. The first couple of buttons of his shirt have been left open, revealing a delicious stretch of his neck and collarbones.  _ Obscene _ , Levi thinks, his gaze drawn to the strong lines of Eren’s jaw and the curve of his mouth,  _ shameless, illegal, how  _ **_dare_ ** _ he?  _

Then, Eren looks up at him, and though a little surprised, flashes Levi a beaming smile.  _ Definitely illegal.  _

Levi flees to the kitchen with the dishes, but he can’t hide in there for too long, because of course Eren decides to sit in his section. He looks at Levi from head to toe as he approaches, a slight smile playing on his lips, and suddenly Levi feels so very naked despite of being in full uniform. 

“Good morning, sir,” he intones in clumsy German, not missing how Eren raises a brow at him. “Would you like tea or coffee?” 

“ _ Buenos días, querido _ ,” Eren replies with a smile. “Coffee, please. How nice to see you here. You don’t usually work mornings, do you?” 

“I do not. Just a moment, please.” 

He’s quick to head back into the kitchen, brewing a fresh pot of coffee while trying to forget about those heated green eyes. He remembers what it had felt like, the softness of Eren’s lips against his and how perfectly their bodies had fit together. And his hands, dear fucking God, he remembers those hands stroking delicate patterns over his stomach and then wandering even lower, remembers how Eren had reduced him into a whining mess just with his graceful fingers. 

All those thoughts are doing nothing in helping him calm down. He takes a deep breath, then a second one, before picking up the coffee and jug of milk with shaky hands. He can do this. It’s just breakfast, he’ll survive.

Eren’s exactly where he left him, though he’s gotten himself some toast and a heaping bowl of strawberries and Nutella from the buffet. Levi watches, transfixed, as he pops a strawberry in his mouth, his tongue flicking out to clean off some of the juice running down his finger. His eyes meet Levi’s and he grins, looking like he wants to devour him right there and then.

Levi clears his throat heavily. “Milk or sugar?” he asks as he fills Eren’s coffee cup, trying not to acknowledge how he can practically see down Eren’s shirt from this angle. 

“Plenty of milk, thanks,” Eren replies, an edge of concern creeping into his voice as he goes on, “I hope you’re not working all the day into the evening today.”

With a quick glance towards the clock, Levi picks up the milk. “I was supposed to get off about five minutes ago, actually,” he quips, fighting back a shiver when he feels Eren’s hand trailing along his waist, “until  _ someone _ decided to show up for breakfast at the last moment.”

Eren’s touch wanders lower until his fingers are resting over the swell of Levi’s ass. His eyes are alight with playful mischief as he says in what’s barely a whisper, “Ah, you know you can get off in front of me, I wouldn’t mind.”

Levi’s hand slips, and it’s like the world slows down for a few fateful moments. He watches in horror as the jug of milk falls from his grip, its contents splattering all over the table and the floor, and worst of all, Eren. It clatters loudly against the tiles as it lands by Levi’s feet, and even with his attention solely on Eren, he can tell that everyone in the room is staring at the two of them.

It’s silent and still for a long while. Eren’s the first to speak up. “Well, that’s not exactly the kind of white and creamy fluid of yours I hoped you’d cover me in,” he states, more amused than anything. His wet shirt is clinging on to his chest and stomach, showing off the outlines of his muscles, and that kind of a distraction is not helping the situation at all.

“Fuck,” Levi whispers, panic creeping into his voice. “I am so, so sorry.”

“Hey, it’s fine, darling, don’t worry about it,” Eren’s quick to assure him with a warm smile as he reaches to grasp Levi’s hands. “It was probably a bad idea to grope you while you’re working. My apologies.”

“What is going on here?” 

As Levi turns, he finds himself face to face with Shadis, and that’s more than enough to divert Levi’s attention away from Eren’s body. The man has schooled his face into the most neutral and polite expression he can manage, though the twitch in his left eyebrow betrays the fact that he’s only seconds away from flying into a fit of rage. 

“It fell,” Levi says, but before he can go on, Eren interrupts him. 

“It’s fine, it was my fault,” he tells Shadis with one of his most charming smiles. “I touched his ass, I had it coming.”

Shadis falls silent, looking like he’s reconsidering every life choice that has brought him to this precise moment in time. After clearing his throat, he states, “Mr. Jaeger, we have a strict policy regarding inappropriate behaviour and harassment towards our staff.”

“No, but I liked it,” Levi blurts out, both Eren and Shadis turning to look at him, the former adoring and the latter slightly nauseous. “It was consensual ass touching.”

“Well,” Shadis starts off, opening and closing his mouth a few times. “In that case.”

“I should probably go change my clothes, though,” Eren states, rearranging his wet neckline and somehow succeeding to bare even more skin. Levi hears one of the German ladies gasp like a dying fish. “Would you mind serving me breakfast up to my room?”

“Yes, of course,” Levi rushes to exclaim, his face burning. “I’m sorry.”

Eren gives a dismissive wave of his hand. “No apologizing,” he says, his voice taking on a breathy tone as he adds, “Though I could always punish you a little, if that’s what you’re into.”

“I’m gonna go now,” Shadis interjects flatly, his eyes taking on the thousand-yard stare of a man who has already seen too much. Off he goes, not looking back, and though Levi’s still bright red, at least he’d managed to avoid Shadis’ wrath. 

After dabbing at his mouth with napkin, Eren stands up. It gives Levi an even better view of his stomach, wet fabric hugging his abdomen, and though he’s seen Eren shirtless by the pool countless times, this is completely different and more erotic somehow. If they weren’t in the middle of the dining room Levi thinks he’d probably be dragging his tongue across Eren’s clothed torso by now. 

The amused glint in Eren’s eye tells him that he’s been caught staring. He grasps on to the lapels of Levi’s uniform as he leans in closer. “Meet me up in my room in five minutes,” he whispers, his breath hot against the shell of Levi’s ear. “Bring the strawberries and Nutella. I wanna find out how they taste when I eat them off of your body.”   
  



	56. terms of enpearment

He’s not sure how and when the pear thing had really started. Of course his vague dislike of his body and how it’s shaped has been hanging around for as long as he can remember. He’d blurted all of this out to Levi one evening, after which he’d spent the rest of the night moaning into his pillow with Levi settled in between his legs.

“This is my ass now. You can’t say mean things about it anymore,” Levi mumbles into the crook of Eren’s neck the next morning, voice still hoarse with sleep as he squeezes Eren’s ass.

Later, when they’re having breakfast, Eren tries to question him about it while also simultaneously hiding behind the newspaper. Levi merely shrugs like it’s no big deal, like the fact that he adores everything that Eren happens to hate about his body isn’t completely illogical. Surely someone like Levi could do better than flabby softness.

“I told you, don’t say mean things about yourself,” he interrupts Eren at that, tugging the paper down and fixing him with a stern glare. “I love you just as you are.”

“Why?” Eren counters, his voice wavering only a little. “Like, have you seen me? And have you seen yourself? We’re not exactly in the same league.”

“Stop it. No belittling yourself,” Levi says with narrowed eyes. “Some people like bananas, some like apples. Doesn’t mean either one of those is inherently better or worse than the other.” He turns his attention back to his coffee, leaving Eren to gape at him.

“Am I the apple?” he asks after opening and closing his mouth a few times.

Levi eyes him from head to toe, the tiniest of smirks lingering on his face. “I’d say you’re more of a pear,” he states, adding with a wink, [“the perfect pear.”](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F6495157&t=ZGY4OTdmNTQyNDg0NzVlMWZjMzdmNDY4YmJmZDg2Y2NmYTc2OTUxMixZYk9ia3J6SQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AvX7lHFsok5tf9c6WhUCfVA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fcrying-abt-fictional-people.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F164070862772%2Fterms-of-enpearment&m=1)

“So you agree that I have a big ass,” Eren goes on to argue, just for the sake of arguing. Being offended is really difficult when Levi’s hair is sticking up at the top of his head like that and there’s a smidge of shaving cream clinging on to his cheek.

“Nothing wrong with having a big ass,” Levi replies in the same tone one might use when discussing the weather. “I have big hands, so actually we’re a perfect match.”

They’re both silent for a while. Eren stares at the air in front of him, because while he understand Levi’s words at the most basic level, it simply doesn’t add up. The whole fruit metaphor isn’t making it any clearer, either.

“In fact,” Levi speaks up again, and Eren can practically see the gears turning in his head because he looks far too pleased with himself, “I’d say we’re a  _pearfect_ match.”

“That was horrible,” Eren groans, burying his face in his hands. “I can’t believe you just made me hear that with my own two ears.”

And honestly, feeling Levi’s hand rest over the curve of his ass when they’re lounging on the couch or cooking dinner together or even getting groceries is kind of nice. He’ll slip his thumb in the back pocket of Eren’s jeans, fingers lightly splayed over his buttocks, always giving Eren the chance to pull away if he’s uncomfortable. Eren rarely does, if ever, though he does chide Levi a little if he gets too handsy in public, more fondly embarrassed than annoyed.

They don’t talk about it that much, to Eren’s great relief. Unfurling a whole decade of body image and self esteem issues isn’t the most romantic date idea, but even without words, Levi seems to understand. He listens more than he talks, and looks at Eren with such gentleness that Eren can’t help but to reach over and hold his hand.

After getting home from one such successful date, Eren checks his phone to find a new message from Levi.

_I Had Fun Today ! See You Later Pear ! :)_

Eren stares at the words on his screen for a small eternity. “What,” he says out loud, more of a baffled exclamation than an actual question.

His phone chirps again, the message that follows offering an explanation, although a crappy one.

_*Dear, Whoops My Finger Slipped :P_

Levi texts like a grandpa, and Eren knows this, but mistakes like that just don’t happen accidentally. Narrowing his eyes at the screen, Eren types back a response.

_**d and p are nowhere near each other on the keyboard u liar :o** _

Just to be sure, he tries it out, and yeah, turning dear into pear doesn’t happen from just a slip of the finger. His boyfriend is a ridiculous idiot. And goddamnit, Eren wouldn’t have it any other way.

It doesn’t end there. Of course it doesn’t, because he’s dating a complete nerd.

They’ve spent yet another night together, this time at Levi’s place, and Levi seems intent on keeping both of them in bed for as long as he can. He targets Eren at his sides, which is such an unfair tactic because he knows how damn ticklish Eren is. Eren’s pretty sure he accidentally kicks Levi at one point as he’s trying to squirm out of his reach, breathless with laughter.

“Come on,” he wheezes in between bouts of giggles. “Let me go, you promised me pancakes for brunch.”

“It’s still early,” Levi groans from where he’s nuzzling at Eren’s stomach. “Don’t go, sweetpear, I’ll be lonely.”

It takes a moment for it to sink in, but soon Eren’s raising a brow at him. “What was that?”

“Sweetpear,” Levi repeats, pressing a kiss against his hip. “You know, like sweetheart, but with more pear.”

“You are so sappy. And your puns are terrible,” Eren sighs, but he’s still smiling like the lovestruck fool that he is. “With more pear? Really?”

“More pear,” Levi agrees. One of his hands is trailing along Eren’s back, slowly inching lower. “Always gotta have more pear.”

“What the fuck,” Eren states with a shake of his head and a nervous laugh. “You weirdo.”

“How about honeypear?” Levi’s touch ghosts over the cleft of his ass, waiting, asking for permission, letting Eren back down if he needs to.

Eren swallows heavily. “Kinda sounds like a fancy dessert or something,” he states, relaxing into the mattress as he feels Levi reaching lower to grasp at his ass.

“I can keep up with the pet names all day, pearling,” Levi purrs as he strokes at the plump roundness where his thighs meet the curve of his ass.

“Okay, that one’s actually pretty cute,” Eren admits, feeling warm and fuzzy in a way that’s almost better than homemade pancakes. Maybe just a couple more minutes, then.


	57. heels

“It’s art,” Eren exclaims as he hands the pair of heels to him. “Put them on.”

They’re shooting at Eren’s studio again, a place that’s become intimately familiar to Levi by now. Eren’s set up a plain gray backdrop against the wall, currently fiddling with the lights while also waving the shoes at Levi. He’s the professional here, he knows what looks good, probably. Levi doesn’t, but once again Eren had assured him that all he had to do was stand around and look pretty - _“and honestly, you do that all the time without even trying, like holy fuck, you have that really intimidatingly attractive scowly thing going on_ ” - and follow his instructions.

So Levi grabs the shoes, even if they’re terribly impractical compared to his well-worn sneakers. For one, they look like they could probably be used to kill a man, the heel part sharp and narrow. They’re made of shiny and rigid leather, golden studs adorning their sides. The painfully tight denim shorts and loose shirt he’s wearing are apparently from the same designer as the shoes, some eccentric friend of Eren’s who seems to have a penchant for making the most uncomfortable clothing as possible.

As soon as he stands up it feels like he could topple over. So this is what being tall feels like, huh.

He only gets to enjoy his newfound height for a moment, since trying to walk over to where Eren’s set up his camera ends up with him stumbling over his own feet and having to cling on to Eren for support.

“This is not gonna work,” he states flatly.

“Yes, it is. You look really good,” Eren says while raking his gaze down along Levi’s body in a way that only makes him feel more unsteady than before.

“No.” He shakes his head, grasping on to Eren tighter when he tries to pull away. “How the fuck am I supposed to walk in these? I look like a drunken giraffe.”

Eren stifles a laugh at that, unfazed by Levi’s menacing glare. “You’re putting your whole foot down. Try putting down the heel first and then your toes,” he advices.

Levi tries, and loses his balance on the second step. Luckily Eren’s right there, wrapping an arm around his waist and keeping him upright. Still, he can feel his cheeks heating up, and when Eren has the audacity to chuckle at him, he’s suddenly overcome with the urge to throw the damn heels out of the window.

“Nope. Not gonna work,” he mutters with a grimace. “For fuck’s sake, I feel ridiculous.”

“Hey.” Eren sounds more serious than before, his brows drawn together as he reaches out to rub his fingers over Levi’s undercut, a gesture that never fails to reduce him into a puddle. “You’re gorgeous. But if you’ve never worn heels before, of course it’ll take some getting used to. Here, I’ll show you.”

Eren has an extra pair of heels in his bag, because of course he does. He’s ridiculous like that.

“I was wondering which ones to have you wear, so I took along both just in case,” he explains, showing off the shoes that are otherwise identical to the ones that Levi’s wearing except red in color. “But the black goes better with your complexion, I think.”

Eren slips on his red heels, and there goes Levi’s smug satisfaction of finally being as tall as him. He wears them with such ease, like he’s not at all bothered about standing on literal stilts.

“Better?” Eren asks, brushing his fingers over Levi’s jaw. “Now we can both be giraffes. No need to feel awkward.”

“I guess,” Levi says with a laugh, feeling much lighter as he straightens himself out. “Okay, show me how to do it.”

“Step with the heel,” Eren says, taking a couple of strides forward. He makes it look deceptively graceful, and Levi’s attention is drawn to his shapely legs and the slight sway of his hips. As if sensing his stare, Eren twirls around and fixes his eyes on Levi. “Give it another try.”

This time he doesn’t fall over, at least, but he’s more wobbling than walking.  _Step with the heel,_  he reminds himself, feeling stiff and ungainly as he hobbles forward. Eren cheers him on regardless, reaching out to hold his hand for balance and flashing him a brilliant smile. Fucking hell, Eren should be the one in front of the camera, with his perfect face and perfect body and perfect everything. He even makes the tackiest heels look amazing somehow. Though they are genuinely ugly shoes, Levi can still appreciate how they bring out Eren’s long legs and muscled thighs. He’s tossed his flannel shirt aside, glad in a plain tee and black jeans, nothing too fancy, but somehow he’s never looked as enticing as he does now.

“Alright, we’ll start with some basic shots, just be natural,” Eren instructs him as he leads him to his spot. “Stand with your feet apart a little, you’ll feel more steady.”

Eren turns to make some final adjustments to the lighting, which gives Levi plenty of time to admire him from behind. The added height accentuates the plump curve of his ass and the arch of his spine rather nicely, even though all he’s doing is just standing there and fiddling with the lamps. Honestly, that ass alone is a piece of art, not to mention the rest of Eren’s body.

“Are you ready?” Eren’s voice jolts him out of his fantasies, his camera held up and ready to fire away.

“Yeah, go ahead. Do I just,” he starts off, interrupted by the click of the shutter and left staring like a deer in the headlights.

“Do whatever you feel like,” Eren advises and takes another picture, stepping off to the side for a different angle. “Just act natural, darling.”

It’s easier said than done, and he catches himself adjusting his heels every so often and cussing under his breath. Eren talks to him a lot, and that kind of helps. He even gets Levi to crack a smile at one point, cheering out loud as he snaps away.

Through it all, he’s still wearing the heels. It looks so effortless, how he’s moving closer or stepping to the side or doing whatever, his shoes clacking lightly on the wooden floor. Eren is at his most liveliest when shooting, always in motion and quick on his feet, and though said feet are currently clad in what must be the most uncomfortable shoes in the world, he still exudes the same confidence as he always does when behind the camera.

While red might not be Levi’s favorite color, it suits Eren pretty well. The rich crimson looks striking against his tan skin, and Levi takes a moment to admire the smoothness of his insteps and the strong arch of his feet. He imagines what it might feel like running his lips down along Eren’s leg and over his ankle, imagines kissing the red leather of his shoe in a show of submission, imagines Eren teasingly pressing his heel-clad foot down against Levi’s—

“The camera’s up here,” Eren states, and Levi can hear the smile in his voice. “Something on your mind?”

“Uh, yeah,” he stammers, suddenly glad that the shirt is a few sizes too big and covering his crotch. “I was just thinking that the heels look pretty good on you. Maybe you should keep them.”

Eren peeks from behind the camera and smirks at him. “Maybe I should,” he agrees. “But only if you keep yours, too.”


	58. affection

“Come here,” Levi tells him in a soft voice as he sets his book down. 

And Eren goes, of course. He likes clear orders and instructions these days, even though Levi gives them to him in only the gentlest of tones. It’s fuzzy and loud in his head most of the time, and the static in between his ears often makes him forget about things such as eating and bathing and sleeping. Words are difficult, too, and instead of trying to explain how and why he can’t read a clock or operate a stove, he simply lets Levi guide him along. 

Things are better now than before, though. As soon as he’s sat down on the couch, Levi begins combing his fingers through his hair, and he could very nearly purr. Levi’s been threatening to cut his hair and tidy it up a little for a while now, but Eren thinks he might have secretly grown fond of it since even now his touch is more reverent than anything. 

Levi presses a kiss to his forehead. “You had that look on your face again,” he offers as an explanation, and when Eren only stares at him, goes on, “Like you want some affection but don’t know how to ask for it.” 

_ That’s me all the time, though _ , Eren thinks and smiles to himself. “I don’t know what you mean,” is what he says out loud, burying his face in the crook of Levi’s neck where it’s quiet and calm and safe.

He feels Levi smile into his hair. “You do like a thing with your eyebrows. It’s quite endearing, makes you look like a puppy or something.”

Mustering up all the indignation he can manage, Eren pokes Levi in the chest lightly. “I do  _ not _ look like a puppy.”

“You do,” Levi counters, his fingers tracing shapes over Eren’s scalp in a way that makes him feel dizzy. “The long hair only adds to it. Maybe you should keep growing it out, actually, you’re very handsome like that.”

The sound that escapes him resembles something between a gasp and a squeak, and though he’s trying his best to be offended, there’s pleasant warmth rising to his cheeks at those words. “Still. I’m not a puppy,” Eren states, nipping at the skin of Levi’s neck in protest. 

“Oh, so you don’t want me to pet you and call you a good boy?” Levi asks, and he sounds so damn smug, like he knows exactly how weak Eren is to kind words and affection in general. 

“I didn’t mean that,” Eren huffs, nudging his head to meet Levi’s fingers that have momentarily stopped stroking through his hair. “Keep going.”

Thankfully enough, Levi does just that, letting Eren melt against him. His eyes fall closed as if on their own, the tension bleeding out from his shoulders as Levi rubs his hand over the nape of his neck. It’s still and silent in his head, and as he listens to the steady sound of Levi’s heartbeat, he knows that they’ll be okay. 


	59. spices

He kisses Eren and tastes rich spices off of his tongue, nutmeg and cinnamon and cloves mixing in with tangy apples and the tiniest hint of bourbon. Eren makes a surprised noise at the back of his throat but doesn’t push him away. In fact, he only reaches to twine his free hand into Levi’s hair and tilts his head for better access, playfully nipping at Levi’s bottom lip.

“You’re distracting me again,” Eren complains after drawing back, breathless and flushed. 

“No, I’m not, I’m just saying hello,” Levi insists as he glues himself to Eren and soaks up his warmth. He peers into the dark amber concoction simmering away on the stove, watching closely as Eren chucks in some vanilla seeds. “What are you making?”

“Just some cider. It’s great for chilly evenings.” Leaning over to plant a kiss on Levi’s cheek, he reaches for some mugs from the cupboards. “It should be done soon. There’s some pie in the fridge if you’re hungry.”

Coming home to a freshly baked pie and hot cider and an ethereally gorgeous lover are luxuries that Levi still hasn’t quite gotten used to despite of living with Eren for nearly a year now. In addition to brewing potions, Eren’s quite adept at cooking in general. The little vegetable garden in their backyard had yielded an ample harvest this fall and inspired Eren to try out all kinds of casseroles and soups and baked goods. He even manages to make eggplants - Levi’s least favorite vegetable - taste delicious, and though he swears he doesn’t use magic that much when cooking, Levi has his suspicions. 

There’s pumpkin pie in the fridge, and Levi helps himself to a generous slice and plops down on the couch. He’s devoured nearly half of it by the time Eren finally joins him, two steaming mugs of cider in hand.  He passes one to Levi and curls up next to him, nudging him gently with his elbow as he settles in. 

“Go on, try it out,” Eren says, lighting up the fireplace with a graceful flick of his hand. 

Levi raises the mug up to his lips and takes a tentative sip. It’s sweet, maybe even sweeter than Eren, with a hint of something sharp and bold that brings a flush to his cheeks. A second sip and there’s gentle warmth coursing through him, the kind that radiates all the way up to his fingertips. When he looks at Eren, his chest feels even hotter than before, all of him pleasantly dizzy and bursting with affection. 

So he kisses Eren, only the lightest brush of his lips against Eren’s cheek, and he’s so disgustingly happy that he’s all but glowing. “It’s delicious. As always,” he murmurs against Eren’s skin. “You’ve thoroughly bewitched me, darling.”

“Okay,” Eren states, laughing. “I definitely put in too much maca root if you’re this smitten already.”

“I’m always smitten when it comes to you,” Levi remarks as he drinks up, reveling in the scent of spices and apples and something magical. 

Eren huffs fondly, leans his head on Levi’s shoulder, and reaches to hold his hand. “Same,” he states quietly and hides behind his mug, but not before Levi catches a glimpse of the redness blooming across his cheeks. Of course he can’t resist kissing Eren again, and then again after that. 

The mugs of cider are eventually left on the table, still half-full and forgotten, and Levi does have to admit that he much prefers tasting it from Eren’s mouth.


	60. Chapter 60

“No. Bad,” Levi exclaims suddenly and swats at his hand. “Don’t do that.”

It’s only then that Eren realizes where his hand currently is, tearing his gaze away from the TV. This time he has both his index and middle finger in his mouth, his teeth idly gnawing at the cuticles that have barely healed up from the last time he’d chewed them open. He breathes out a sigh and drops his hand back to his lap.

“Thanks. I didn’t even notice.” It’s not the first time Levi’s pointed out his bad habit, and it certainly won’t be the last. Though Levi’s eyes linger on him for a short moment afterwards, soon both of them are focused on the movie again. It’s some inane action flick Eren thinks he’s already seen before, so for the most part he’s just soaking up the feeling of leaning against Levi while catching sidelong glances at him in a way that he hopes is discreet.

They’ve been on so many dates now that Eren’s lost count, but damn it, being close to Levi still makes something flutter wildly in his chest. Especially now when they’re curled up on the couch so casually, Levi’s arm thrown around him like it’s no big deal and the fabric of his sweater soft against Eren’s cheek. Because Eren is, well, Eren, he’s managed to drape himself around Levi like an especially clingy blanket, head resting on his shoulder and their legs loosely twined together. Cuddling in inventive positions is something they’ve practiced a lot, and though Levi does sometimes complain about Eren being unfairly tall, his height and long limbs tend to come in handy on occasions like this.

Instead of watching the movie, Eren finds himself more focused on Levi’s presence next to him. He makes note of the strong line of his jaw and the barest hint of a stubble growing there, the tiny glimpse of a sleek collarbone from under the neckline of his shirt, the way his eyes look warmer than usual in the dim light. Even when he’s frowning like that he’s still effortlessly handsome. For a brief moment, Eren wonders why he’s got such a sullen look on his face, but the answer dawns on him when Levi reaches out and grabs him by the wrist.

That’s when Eren notices that his fingers are in his mouth. Again.

“Sorry,” he mumbles around his thumb sheepishly, and very nearly protests when Levi tugs his hand away - his nail has an awkward notch in it now, it would look much neater if he could just even it out a little.

“We’re holding hands now,” Levi announces as he laces their fingers together, taking hold of Eren’s other hand as well. To do so from their current position, he has to reach all the way from behind Eren’s back and over his shoulder, and even then it’s not very effortless. “Move over a little.”

Soon enough, Eren finds himself nestled in the space between Levi’s legs, his back pressed against Levi’s chest and their hands linked loosely together. Levi presses a light kiss against his neck, his warm breath brushing over Eren’s skin and leaving goosebumps in its wake. It’s kind of nice, and for a couple of moments he nearly forgets about the itching under his cuticles.

“No,” Levi intones when Eren goes to raise his hand and squeezes at his fingers tighter. “Bad. No biting.”

Eren rolls his eyes, thankful that Levi can’t currently see his expression. “My hair is falling over my face, I was just gonna move it out of the way,” he quips, and it’s not entirely false because there are a couple of strands currently obscuring his vision.

Bringing up their joined hands, Levi sweeps aside the aforementioned locks that have fallen free from Eren’s loose bun, reaching to gently bop at his nose with his pinky while he’s at it. “You look really handsome with longer hair, by the way,” he notes, sounding so damn casual, as if he’s completely unaware of just how strongly Eren reacts to compliments. “Really delicate yet masculine at the same time. I like it.”

“Uh,” Eren replies, and it’s like he can almost hear his brain turning into a puddle inside his head.

“I’ll braid it for you later if you’re a good boy,” Levi promises, the words somewhat muffled against Eren’s shoulder but there’s definitely a hint of coy fondness in his voice. “That means no biting your nails, though.” He emphasizes his point by skimming his fingertips over Eren’s raw cuticles.

“Are you just gonna hold my hands for the rest of the evening to make sure I don’t do that?” Eren asks, his voice just a little higher than usual. Being a good boy does sound so achingly tempting, and he finds himself crossing his legs as he tries to chase off all those indecent thoughts of Levi rewarding him for his efforts.

“It’s either that, or tying you up.” Levi grazes his teeth over Eren’s earlobe. “Which one would you prefer?”

Eren opens his mouth, only to close it moments later. “Both?” he blurts out, because honestly, the combination of sweet gentleness and restraint is somehow strangely appealing to him.

“Oh.” It’s Levi’s turn to fall silent now, but Eren can feel him smiling against his neck. “It was more of a rhetorical question, but good to know. I’ll make a note of that.”

“Don’t be mean,” Eren grumbles and tries to nudge Levi with his elbow, without much success.

“I’m not being mean,” Levi insists, and he’s still smiling like the mean boyfriend that he is.

“You’re teasing me, that’s mean,” Eren claims, stifling a bout of laughter when Levi blows a raspberry against the ticklish skin of his nape.

“But you’re so cute when you’re all flustered,” Levi purrs, leaning to plant a light kiss on his cheeks.

“I’m  _not_  flustered,” Eren states, his cheeks aflame as he squirms in Levi’s embrace. Despite of his best efforts to seem indignant, there’s the slightest of smiles lingering on his face. It certainly doesn’t help that Levi’s all snug and warm against him, his arms resting over Eren’s and their fingers intertwined perfectly, and while it’s not very practical, Eren wonders if they could just stay like this until forever, just the two of them.

“I’m gonna give you a hand massage later,” Levi informs him matter-of-factly. “I picked up some soothing moisturizer from the pharmacy the other day, the lady said it’s really good for dry and damaged skin.”

Eren’s heart clenches in his chest at that admission. “Okay,” he states, squeezing at Levi’s hands in an effort to convey just how damn grateful he is for all of this. “That sounds wonderful.”


End file.
